06/03/26 – 7.30pm The Venue
U.S.A. 2025
Dir: Kelly Reichardt
Cert 12A
110 mins
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alan Haim, Bill Camp, Hope Davis
Ah, a heist movie! Lots of action, car chases, noisy shoot-outs, hard-boiled dialogue between hardened criminals… Think again! “The Mastermind”, although ostensibly about a plan to steal paintings from a local museum, is more of an anti-heist movie, focusing on the insignificant misfit who is the “mastermind” behind the plan. Meet unemployed carpenter James Blaine (JB), a middle-class family man who views the theft of artworks as something of a hobby, rather than a career choice. The heist, of course, does not go totally to plan, but the paintings are indeed stolen, after which JB seems at a loss to know what to do. Set in 1970 Massachusetts, with echoes of the Vietnam War and the remnants of the 60s counterculture, JB’s rebellion is very low-key and unfocused. A slow-burn of a film, understated and insightful, with a wry sense of humour.
Trailer: