Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. To infinity and beyond!

Mubi was kind enough to hit me up with an accessible screener, after their FYC rep just gave me the one-size-supposedly-fits-all screener. So, I appreciate that I’ve now seen a film i didn’t really love, twice. it isn’t so much that this is a bad film, because it is far from that, but I might be the only one who doesn’t get Kelly Reichardt. I know Kelly has fans, and I’ve seen their work before, but I have yet to feel the spark from any of them. Their last feature with Michelle Williams, Showing Up, just didn’t do much for me either. I need to go through the filmography to find a film, any film, that Kelly Reichardt directed that gives me the same goosebumps I get when I discover other new emerging talent. Not that Kelly is emerging, but, it would feel like that to me.

Kelly does get good performances, which is one of the reasons that even though her films fall almost right in the middle for me in terms of fresh/rotten, or to recommend or not, I lean toward recommend, because there’s usually a few interesting performances to behold. Here, Josh O’Connor, in his 789th film of the year, gives another solid performance to add to his already glowing resume. I feel like he’s going to accidentally get an Oscar nomination one day, because he keeps choosing projects that feel like they could and should all have Oscar buzz, yet somehow fall short. Last year, Challengers was an excellent example, and this year he has two films with Mubi, this and the History Of Sound, as well as Rebuilding, and Wake Up Dead Man. All four have him in their consideration campaigns.

The Mastermind is basically about a young man who seems unnecessarily aimless in life, who becomes an art thief, but isn’t really the person who even does the job. he uses his educated upper-middle class status to determine art worth stealing, and some acquaintances steal the art. Things go awry, there’s an investigation, and it seems like the road we’re on is a heist movie. Except, Reichardt films are never really that simple, and more about a human condition of some kind. For O’Connor’s character, I was reminded of the legal case a few years back where a rich kid committed a crime, and his defense argued he was innocent due to affluenza. The idea that being wealthy, or affluent, somehow alters the way your brain processes things. here, his choices are set in the early 70’s, when his less fortunate friends are worried about the Vietnam draft.

If you love jazz, you will love the score. but if you want a heist movie, that’s not what this is. it just happens to have a heist, and feature the characters involved, but it is something different. it is a character study about an aimless louse of a man, who fails as a son, partner, and father. he’s not really good at anything he should be good at, which is why he’s the Mastermind. he’s best left as the concept guy, because he seemingly isn’t aware that he’s bad at everything else, and the ensemble around him seems at wits end.

that ensemble includes some strong performers too. Gaby Hoffman, Hope Davis, Alanna Hine, Bill camp, and John Magaro. Again, solid actors, solid performances.

Josh O’Connor is the main reason to watch, as he continues to let his stock rise. I’m not overly enthusiastic about this endorsement, but it gets just barely across the finish line. I think part of Reichardt’s direction can be slower than expected, and she takes the less obvious route. it would be typical to make this a real heist movie, instead of a dissection on privilege.

the Mastermind isn’t perfect, but Josh O’Connor certainly is trying to be.

Fresh: Final grade: 6.2/10