THE MASTERMIND (2025) ★

Despite having an art heist at the center of its plot, this film isn't really a "heist film"– it isn't interested in the mechanics of the heist itself, nor is it really interested in making any special observations about crime (or about art, for that matter). What it is interested in is a particular kind of male haplessness (you could make a good double feature of it with Reichardt's earlier Meek's Cutoff in this regard). Other things it is interested in: the desolate beauty of New England autumn, certain strands of 1970s fashion, the various ways the geometries of large cars can occupy a movie screen, Josh O’Connor's face. Critical claims for the movie's deep political insight seem to me to be a bit overgenerous–and the treatment of Javion Allen's Black character should raise more of an eyebrow in this regard–but there was more than enough interesting microphenomena in every scene (except possibly the very last) to keep me engaged without the need for "big picture" cultural analysis. Bonus points for a surprise Rob Mazurek score??