Comedy ‘Masterminds’ plan heist of century
More entertaining and subversive than Relativity, its distributor, knows, “Masterminds” is based on the true story of North Carolina resident David Scott Ghantt. Played by Zach Galifianakis in the film, he’s a man-child employed in 1997 by Loomis Fargo & Co. to deliver cash to bank ATM machines, and he agrees to participate in the greatest cash heist in American crime history, all in the name of love.
Directed by Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”) and scripted by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and “Saturday Night Live” veteran Emily Spivey, “Masterminds” asks the question: What if American workers ripped off their employers instead of the other way around? The answer is: The employers are insured and not nearly as funny.
While at Loomis Fargo, Ghantt falls in love with his partner Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) in spite of, or because of, being engaged to a local woman named Jandice (Kate McKinnon), who lives in a trailer with her oxygen-tank-connected mother. Jandice may be crazy. We are not sure, especially with the inspired McKinnon playing her.
When Kelly quits after being baited by a higher-up, she falls in with bad company, namely pediatric wheelchair thief Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson). Using the code name Geppetto, Steve cooks up a scheme to rob Loomis Fargo with the help of hopelessly smitten David, who believes that Kelly will run off with him to Mexico after the crime to live happily ever after.
I’m not making any great claims for “Masterminds.” It’s not the “GoodFellas” of crime comedies. But when David flees to Mexico with $20,000 stuffed in his underpants and a pair of cat’s eye contacts in his eyes, making him “half cat, half Jesus,” I dare you to keep it together.
Jason Sudeikis is a hoot as a professional hit man with a conscience, at least involving people with the same name. As the bumbling thief who eerily evades capture and assassination attempts, Galifianakis, who reportedly replaced Jim Carrey, grows on you in spite of deplorable tonsorial choices. Mary Elizabeth Ellis is fun as Steve’s “GoodFellas”greedy wife. Wiig is sexy and sweet as Kelly.
When Leslie Jones shows up as a tough-talking FBI agent, you may be reminded that “Masterminds” shares much of the cast as the recent disappointing “Ghostbusters” remake. The truth is “Masterminds,” which was shot first, is better.