This is the second film of Reichardt to screen in Cannes with her film Showing Up screening in competition in 2022. Her film First Cow (2019) screened in competition at the Berlin Film Festival.
Reichardt has a background in the fine arts and she earned an MFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, as well as doing an Artist in Residence at Bard College, making her a decidedly East Coast artist.
But after meeting writer Jon Raymond who became a major influence on her as a filmmaker she decided to relocate to the West and made a series of critically highly regarded films set and shot in Oregon, including Old Joy (2006) and Wendy and Lucy (2008), Meek's Cutoff (2010), Night Moves (2013), First Cow (2019), and Showing Up (2022), firmly establishing her reputation as an American auteur.
So The Mastermind marks a change of location and a return to her East Coast roots for Reichardt as its set in 1970 in suburban Massachusetts. Reichardt also wrote the screenplay for the film. The film is a heist gone wrong story with an inept little guy JB Mooney played by Josh O’Connor, an unemployed carpenter deciding to steal some paintings from the local museum.
JB gets the idea when he’s on a visit with his family with his wife Terri played by Alana Haim and his twin sons, Carl and Tommy played by Sterling Thompson and Jasper Thompson. JB decides to recruit some accomplices, Guy played by Eli Gelb and Larry played by Cole Doman, and dreams up a plan that involves stealing a getaway car and grabbing the paintings. Needless to say the whole plan goes wrong and JB’s life falls apart.
Reichardt has become known for her subtle humour that looks at the human condition and the everyday life of the American working class guy with empathy and sadness as well as a comic touch.
She has teamed up again with cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt. Jazz musician and composer Rob Mazurek of Chicago Underground fame.
The Mastermind (USA)
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Cast: Josh O'Connor, Sterling Thompson, Alana Haim, Jasper Thompson, Bill Camp, Hope Davis, Eli Gelb, Cole Dorman, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffman, Matthew Maher
