When robberies, double-crossing and the words “based on a true story” combine, a film usually follows one of two paths. Some take the situation seriously, mining it for drama or thrills; others find the funny, offbeat or farcical side. One of the biggest cash heists in US history lends itself to the latter treatment in Masterminds, thanks to a loose vibe and key players who stress the comic meaning of the movie’s title. As the fact that there’s now a feature about it foreshadows, the act of theft and its aftermath didn’t go smoothly — much like the big screen take on the tale.
That Masterminds is freewheeling and messy suits what, in the hands of director Jared Hess (Don Verdean) and writers Chris Bowman (TV’s The Secret Saturdays), Hubbel Palmer (American Fork) and Emily Spivey (The Last Man on Earth), becomes a comic underdog story. Of course, it’s also emblematic of the kind of movie that tries to coast by on the strength of its real-life basis, goofy mood and well-known cast, without doing more than the bare minimum with any of them; indeed, the 2014-made, long-delayed film is the epitome of a generic caper.
“I used to fantasise about getting robbed in the line of duty,” shares David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis, Keeping Up With the Joneses) as part of Masterminds‘ opening narration, making it plain that his childhood dream didn’t ever eventuate, but that something out-of-the-ordinary eventually will. Working as a security guard for North Carolina money-transporting company Loomis Fargo, he’s getting ready to marry his fiancée Jandice (Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live) when a ex-colleague finally sparks his brush with crime. The kindly Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig, Sausage Party) knows that David has a secret crush on her, and, acting on the instructions of her layabout pal Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson, Zoolander 2), convinces him to steal $17 million dollars. He thinks they’ll run away together; however Steve and hired hitman Mike McKinney (Jason Sudeikis, Angry Birds) have other plans.
The influence of the Coen brothers, and of the likes of Raising Arizona and Fargo, looms large — and understandably can’t be matched. Not that Masterminds makes a concerted effort, other than when ‘90s costuming and hair styles, sight gags reliant upon giant mobile phones and CD players, and an air of slapstick silliness are involved. And yet, modest laughs still eventuate — including one particularly inspired line voiced by Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live) as one of the detectives on the case that perfects the retro humour aimed for. It stands out amidst the sea of well-meaning clumsiness and broadness that this amiable but average offering otherwise wades in.
What actually serves the feature best is the pedigree of its talent, rather than the factual story it’s trying to tell or the history of amusing movie heists it’s endeavouring to channel. Hess wrote and directed Napoleon Dynamite, while both Bowman and Palmer helmed episodes of the 2012 animated version, with much of their latest project made in its shadow. On screen, the live sketch comedy background of Ghostbusters trio McKinnon, Wiig and Jones leaves them best equipped to make the most of the material, though its the former that steals the film in only a handful of scenes. She’s more effective with a wide-eyed stare than almost everything around her, Galifianakis’ bumbling everyman protagonist and Wilson’s shady not-quite-mastermind among them.
Rating: 2 ½ stars out of 5
Masterminds
Director: Jared Hess
USA, 2016, 95 mins
Release date: 13 October
Distributor: Roadshow
Rated: PG
Actors:
Director:
Format:
Country:
Release:
