In 1970, failed architect James Blaine Mooney and his cohorts wander into a museum in broad daylight and steal four paintings. When holding on to the art proves more difficult than stealing them, Mooney is relegated to a life on the run.
The 1970s turned out some unforgettable heist films—think “The Getaway,” “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,” and “The Brink’s Job.” So when “The Mastermind” was advertised as a throwback to that era’s capers, you’d expect suspense, style, and a little bit of swagger. What you get instead is something far less lively.
Set against the backdrop of 1970 Massachusetts, the film follows James Mooney (Josh O’Connor), a down-on-his-luck carpenter who hatches a plan to steal a handful of Arthur Dove paintings from a local museum. His escape plan hits a snag when his getaway driver backs out, leaving James to handle the getaway solo. At first, everything goes off as planned. The news is all over the heist, but the cops are left scratching their heads—until one of James’s accomplices gets caught during a separate robbery and gives up James’s name without much of a fight.
James bolts before the police can catch him, landing on the doorstep of his old college pals Fred and Maude (John Magaro and Gaby Hoffmann). Their hospitality fades quickly, with Maude insisting he leave before they get dragged into his troubles. Out of options, James heads to Cleveland to crash with more friends, but finds them gone for the foreseeable future. Flat broke, he resorts to snatching a purse from a senior citizen and tries to lose himself in an antiwar protest—only to get scooped up by the police along with the rest of the crowd.
Despite its marketing, “The Mastermind” doesn’t really work as a heist movie. The plot crawls along, and the script never finds a spark of wit or excitement. O’Connor gives it his best shot, but James is a blank slate—after the theft, he cuts off his family and just sort of floats from place to place, surviving on small-time crimes and never learning a thing.
By the film’s end, James is pretty much the same guy he was at the start—no big realization, no reckoning. He just drifts, killing time in bars and watching the world go by, which doesn’t make for much of a story.
On the bright side, director Kelly Reichardt and cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt nail the look of the period, using a soft, glowing palette that feels straight out of the ’70s. It’s beautifully shot, capturing the era with real authenticity.
Still, strong visuals can’t make up for a script that leaves its cast stranded. Both O’Connor and Alana Haim (who was terrific in “Licorice Pizza”) are clearly capable, but there’s not enough for them to sink their teeth into. The characters seem lost, and that sense of aimlessness bleeds into the entire film. For all its technical polish, “The Mastermind” never manages to leave much of an impression.
Available on Blu-ray™ and DVD June 30th
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