February 4th was released The Mastermind, ninth film by American director Kelly Reichardt.
From River of Grass In 1994, the filmmaker developed a unique style—a certain poetic rhythm and a significant feminist and environmental dimension—while remaining firmly rooted in the tradition of American cinema. A look back at Reichardt's style in four films.
Night Moves (2013)
Three environmental activists (Dakota Fanning, Jesse Eisenberg, Peter Sarsgaard) decide to blow up a hydroelectric dam. But faced with the tragic consequences of their action, which led to the accidental death of a camper due to the sudden rise in water levels, they are overcome with regret and doubt: did they do the right thing? At a time of intense discussion about "ecoterrorism," and with the subject increasingly prominent in cinema (we remember the highly successful...), this film offers a compelling perspective. Sabotage (From Daniel Goldhaber's 2022 film), one can only wonder: Is Kelly Reichardt ahead of her time, or is she simply the best filmmaker to capture the era? We know that cinema is always a step behind when it comes to social issues, due to the inherent length of production. But not with Reichardt. Not only does the director understand the times and their questions, with an intense perspective, but she never makes a "militant" film. Night Moves It is a great moral film, prompting us to ask real questions without providing easy answers, but it is also a great film of mise-en-scène, a love letter to nature, a subject at the heart of the cinema of a director whose style has sometimes been described by her detractors as "contemplative." But what could be more beautiful, for a film about ecology, than to invite us to contemplate nature?
Some women (2016)
Besides ecology, the other major political theme in Kelly Reichardt's films is obviously feminism. In this respect, this narrative, which weaves together four short stories (adapted from short stories by Maile Meloy), seems to be her major film on the subject, chronicling the lives of four women of different ages and social backgrounds (Laura Dern, Lily Gladstone, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams) in the same small Montana town. But in realitySome women It is also, long before it became the favorite subject of the most prominent directors of American cinema (Ari Aster, Zach Cregger, Yorgos Lanthimos…), a great film about contemporary America, its inequalities, its difficulties, and its promises.
First cow (2019)
A deeply American filmmaker, Kelly Reichardt is obviously a western director. She had already tackled the genre, American by nature, in 2010 with the hypnotic road movie The Last Trailrecounting the odyssey in the 19th centurye century of a wagon train of three Mormon families across Oregon, the Rockies and the desert along an alternate route, guided by a slightly crazy old pioneer (a film which, incidentally, is reminiscent of the recent Sirat by Oliver Laxe). Nine years later, the director returns to Oregon's Far West, adapting a short story by her favorite author, Jonathan Raymond (who also wrote the screenplay for Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, The Last Trail et Night Moves). It's a seemingly simple story of friendship between a cook and a Chinese immigrant, united by a very American ambition for wealth and business. Their project: to develop a doughnut business, specializing in doughnuts made particularly tasty thanks to their secret ingredient: milk smuggled from the first cow brought into the country. Unlike The Last TrailWhile Kelly Reichardt has a particular interest in female characters, she here tells a story of men in the Wild West. But not lone vigilantes or gunslingers. Reichardt takes us far from the genre's macho tropes to tell us, with great affection and against a backdrop of stunning landscapes, a simple and universal story of friendship.
The Mastermind (2026)
This is a genre the director hadn't yet tackled: the heist film. In a style reminiscent of the paranoid American cinema of the 1970s, this new feature begins as what appears to be a complicated robbery film. James Mooney (Josh O'Connor) visits a museum, meticulously examining every detail, carefully preparing his masterful plan to steal priceless works of art. Except that James is a failed robber, clumsy and pathetic. Far from epic, his escape (which is essentially the film's narrative) is just as miserable. Playing with our expectations, Kelly Reichardt delivers an excellent comedy where most of the events (the Vietnam War, the Women's Liberation Movement…) take place off-screen. A glimpse into 1970s America, carried by Josh O'Connor's delightful performance (although the character is often irritating and detestable). A great, understated film, reflecting the filmography of someone who is too often forgotten to be one of the most important American directors of today.
