Podcast Summary: All Of It – Josh O'Connor is an Art Thief in Kelly Reichardt's 'The Mastermind'

Date: October 20, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart (A)
Guests: Kelly Reichardt (Writer/Director – B), Josh O’Connor (Actor – C)

Episode Overview

This episode of "All Of It" dives into the creation and themes of the new heist film The Mastermind, directed by Kelly Reichardt and starring Josh O’Connor as JB Mooney, a disaffected former art student who, in 1970, decides to steal four paintings from a local museum. The conversation explores inspirations for the film, nuances of character development, the cultural and political backdrop of the 1970s, and the specifics of building the film’s visual world. Reichardt and O'Connor discuss the process and challenges of digging into their protagonist’s motivations, the film’s peculiar humor, and its understated approach to the heist genre.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genesis and Inspiration for the Film

• Real-life Influence:
  • Kelly Reichardt was inspired by a 50th anniversary article about high school girls involved in a museum heist in Worcester, MA – they were there for homework and got swept up in the crime. (01:15)
  • “And so that was kind of a starting point.” – Kelly Reichardt (01:35)
• Kelly’s Unique Approach:
  • The film offers a grounded, humorous take on the heist story, emphasizing character more than action or spectacle.

2. Characterization of JB Mooney

• JB’s Motivations:
  • Largely, JB sees the heist as a life-changing move to break from his rut, though his commitment to the plan never really wavers—even as consequences arise. (01:46)
  • “He’s convinced that this is going to go very, very smoothly.” – Josh O'Connor (01:53)
• Depth & Ambiguity:
  • Josh O’Connor’s backstory work for JB was deliberately personal and withheld from the director to avoid clashing visions, focusing instead on internal motivations. (02:18)
  • “It’s sort of like, for me… it might not be helpful to the story, but it’s helpful to me.” – Josh O’Connor (02:36)
• Reichardt’s View:
  • JB isn’t so much in a creative rut as he is expecting things to happen to him, with hints of middle-class rebellion and reliance on family. (03:19)
  • “I think he wants something to happen for him without having to do too much… he’s blowing it up a bit.” – Kelly Reichardt (03:35)

3. Heist in Cultural Context

• Research & Realism:
  • O’Connor intentionally avoided deep research into real art theft, mirroring JB’s own lack of preparation.
  • “The research was just as much as the character would do, which is not… not an awful lot.” – Josh O'Connor (04:53)
• 1970s Setting:
  • The time period provided a plausible environment for such a heist—less surveillance, different social context, and a world in upheaval, but with JB curiously disconnected from it. (13:03)
  • Kelly cites events like the Vietnam War, Kent State, and the draft as background noise in JB’s world, affecting but not overly concerning him. (13:03)

4. Art, Ego, and Domesticity

• Why Arthur Dove?:
  • Reichardt initially chose Dove out of personal affinity and practical connections, eventually finding his abstract work fitting for both the fictional museum and the protagonist's sensibility. (05:21)
• Art Appreciation vs. Ego:
  • JB’s enjoyment of the paintings is more about pride and ego than authentic appreciation, as he fantasizes about how they’d look at home—fueling his sense of personal victory. (07:21)
  • “There is an element of like laziness to him… JV Mooney has this like deathly combination of like low self-esteem, big ego.” – Josh O'Connor (08:15)

5. Production Design & Setting

• Creating the Museum:
  • The fictional Framingham Art Museum's exterior is an I.M. Pei library in Columbus, Indiana, while the interior was a constructed set in a local warehouse. (09:07)
  • “That was exciting… the paintings were getting made and the frames were getting made and the walls were getting put up…” – Kelly Reichardt (09:56)
• JB’s Home:
  • Set in a “step down” ranch house—modest, suburban, and a bit distant from the upper-middle-class comfort he’d grown up with. (10:02)

6. Relationships & Blind Spots

• Underestimating Others:
  • JB is continually dismissive of those around him, especially his wife (played by Alana Haim), children, and friends—never truly believing the situation will spiral. (10:49)
  • “He underestimates everyone… that’s just in his nature.” – Josh O’Connor (11:56)
• Actor and Director Debate:
  • O’Connor and Reichardt have a playful, evolving debate about JB’s insecurity vs. sense of entitlement; is he insecure or just cluelessly privileged? (12:07)
  • “He thinks he warrants more than, or he deserves more than he’s got.” – Josh O’Connor (12:07)
  • “I think he always thinks everything will work out for him.” – Kelly Reichardt (11:56)

7. Background Events and Political Climate

• Cultural Backdrop:
  • The film’s 1970 setting is used more as ambient noise rather than central subject; JB is largely oblivious, a subtle critique of privileged disengagement. (13:03, 14:06)
  • “He’s just… I don’t think he’s a deep enough thinker… or perhaps he has the privilege of not feeling the impact of what’s going on around him.” – Josh O’Connor (14:06)

8. Notable Moments & Closing

• What to Watch For:
  • Reichardt highlights the score by Rob Mazurek with percussion by Chad Taylor—a “lucky thing to have in the movie.” (15:26)
  • O’Connor shouts out Jasper and Sterling, the actors playing his sons, noting their natural talent and great on-set presence. (16:00)
• Memorable Scene:
  • Alison Stewart notes the scene where an egg is broken to reveal pantyhose as a comic, symbolic moment. (16:40)

Notable Quotes

• “He wants something to happen for him without having to do too much.”
  — Kelly Reichardt, on JB’s motivation (03:35)
• “He’s convinced that this is going to go very, very smoothly.”
  — Josh O’Connor (01:53)
• “The research was just as much as the character would do, which is not… not an awful lot.”
  — Josh O’Connor (04:53)
• “JV Mooney has this like deathly combination of like low self-esteem, big ego…”
  — Josh O’Connor (08:15)
• “I think he always thinks everything will work out for him.”
  — Kelly Reichardt (11:56)
• “He underestimates everyone… that’s just in his nature.”
  — Josh O’Connor (11:56)
• “I don’t think he’s a deep enough thinker… perhaps he has the privilege of not feeling the impact of what’s going on around him.”
  — Josh O’Connor (14:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Film Set Up: 00:09–01:09
• Inspiration for the Script: 01:15–01:35
• Talking JB’s Motivation: 01:46–03:19
• Character Research & Process: 02:18–03:11
• Debating JB’s Rut: 03:19–03:35
• Approach to Art Theft: 04:04–05:00
• Choosing the Painter: 05:21–06:10
• Art, Ego, and Character: 07:21–08:15
• Museum & House Design: 09:05–10:35
• Interpersonal Dynamics: 10:49–12:31
• 1970s & Political Context: 13:01–14:06
• Favorite Moments: 15:18–16:47

Memorable Moments

• Playful teasing between O’Connor and Reichardt about “spoilers” and the reluctance to reveal plot details (06:22–07:05)
• The comic debate over whether trailers should exist at all, with everyone joking about keeping things secret (06:37–07:00)
• O’Connor’s reflection on working with young actors Jasper and Sterling, and the joy they brought to the set (16:00)
• Stewart’s personal favorite visual gag: breaking an egg to reveal pantyhose (16:40)

This episode delivers a thoughtful look at The Mastermind, emphasizing character study over caper mechanics, and offers listeners a lively insider’s conversation about craft, collaboration, and the subtle art of making a grounded heist film.