Film review: The Phoenician Scheme

Regardless of the recognisable style, the perfectly measured frame, the whimsical and colourful characters, and the simple sentimental edge that permeates all of Wes Anderson’s films, the one thematic thread that connects his entire work is family.

There is no specific avenue to how he approaches the theme. It can be mending the nucleus of a family, finding your own family, or strengthening the bonds already in place. For such an idiosyncratic filmmaker, Anderson is not a lonesome soul – he thrives with his people and makes films about how they make him a better person. Maybe that’s why he always works with the same cast and crew. Can you imagine being the person who appeared in a Wes Anderson film but was not called back to the following ones? It would leave me paranoid: was it something I said?

In his filmography, The Phoenician Scheme stands somewhere between Grand Budapest Hotel‘s caper section and Isle of Dogs‘s second half. After the experimental and slightly contemplative Asteroid City, he returns to the fast-paced cartoon structure of his films, now adding some real zany visuals reminiscent of Tex Avery or Louis Malle’s Zazie Dans Le Métro. There is a person who gets blown up even before the credits, and one scene has a visual gag that owes a lot to Jacques Tati. The Phoenician Scheme is, unapologetically, Wes Anderson’s real comedy. It removes most of the emotion in favour of some pretty solid comedy skits, but, you know, without stopping being Wes Anderson.

The story follows a ruthless European millionaire, Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), who, after surviving one of the many attempts on his life, recruits his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), currently a nun, to help finalise his dream project by convincing a group of investors, who all have a grip with Korda – these include Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johanson, Mathieu Almaric, Jeffrey Wright and Benedict Cumberbatch. The two are joined by a private tutor, Bjorn (Michael Cera), hired by Korda to teach him about entomology. There is also a group of communist fighters, led by Richard Ayoade and Hope Davis as Liesl’s Mother Superior.

The structure revolves around Korda, Liesl, and Bjorn travelling from place to place to convince the investors to finally join him on his adventure. The climax is his meeting with his estranged brother (Cumberbatch), with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, verging on hatred.

One of the main gags revolves around Korda constantly identifying contract killers assigned to destroy him only because they all used to work for him. Intercut with the fast-paced element of the main story – which adds an action or shootout scene at every turn – are these odd dream sequences of Korda in the afterlife, meeting his judgement, his past family, and finally, God (Bill Murray). These moments slow down the film but reveal much about Korda, a man who remains unmovable due to a lack of ethics for financial benefit, even when facing his demise.

So what Anderson does to make Korda understand the wrong of his ways is both clever and expected. I found the ending incredibly satisfying for such a simple and compelling story. In a new twist to Anderson’s theme, this is about discovering the value of one’s family. And that’s lovely, entirely in tune with what Anderson brings. It’s both refreshing and recognisable. He’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, nor convince his detractors to join his ranks. Because after 12 films, who even has time for that?

Verdict: 4 out of 5
For fans of Wes Anderson who stand by the filmmaker’s recognisable traits and undeniable charm, this is worth watching twice. I find his style overwhelming the first time but hitting the right notes by the second time. In any case, if you like him, you’ll like this. If you don’t, you won’t.