Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) is a man of extreme wealth, taste and determination. Known as “Mr 5%”, as an industrialist, he has no scruples, often dealing in conflicting wars or prospects, whichever make him the most money. He also has a lot of enemies and has survived many, many assassination attempts. But he sees the writing’s on the wall and wishes to appoint an heir.
The father to 8 children, the only one he has any real affinity for is his sole daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton). He wishes to bring her into his most bold venture yet, the building and industrialisation of barren land, Phoenicia. Liesl is in training to become a nun, yet agrees, thinking of all the good she can achieve with her father’s ill-gotten gains.
Then, sabotage hits. Stock market manipulation by his enemies in the U.S sees Korda‘s empire at risk. Pushing forward with his plans, there is one issue, “The Gap”. Money unaccounted for, yet still necessary for his Phoenician Scheme. Korda, Liesl and tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera), set out to acquire further investment. The only thing harder than asking rich people for money is asking them for more money. But Korda is not a man to lay down and give up. As his father taught him, the first rule of industrialisation; if anything stands in your way, flatten it.
The unmistakable visionary, and now finally Oscar-winning director, Wes Anderson returns. Having begun as a smaller indie director, he amassed great respect from his peers and is loved by actors. I consider Wes Anderson to be my favourite living director today, with each of his films being a completely new experience, Anderson’s writing and visual style is immediately recognisable and The Phoenician Scheme is no exception.
The Phoenician Scheme is a rich a feast for the eyes. His signature flair for “picture box” shot composition is present in nearly every scene. The camera pans, spins and moves through its environment, and yet every frame appears like a carefully structured painting. Anderson‘s usual cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman is absent, replaced by six-time Oscar nominee, Bruno Delbonnel. Despite this, The Phoenician Scheme retains that familiar beauty we’ve come to expect from Wes Anderson’s works.
This also applies to the large ensemble of A-list talent he has accumulated for this project. The Phoenician Scheme, while having an impressive list of actors and actresses, thankfully doesn’t feel quite so much like a deluge of who’s who in Hollywood.
Benicio del Toro hasn’t played a character this interesting in a while. Strong and gruff yet still done for laughs. With the supporting cast including Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, and Benedict Cumberbatch, to name a few, there’s plenty of laughs to be had, and discovering which bizarre character will pop up next.
Anderson‘s prose of rapid-fire dialogue and rebuttals is on point once more. The Phoenician Scheme doesn’t only look like a Wes Anderson film, but it sounds like one as well. This does have its downsides, the characters feel as rigidly composed as the film’s framing itself. It works fine for comedy but less so with emotion. Liesl is character that’s hard to get a grasp on as much of her dialogue is delivered in that rapid fire but monotone way. Her reunion with her father and their shared hijinks are amusing, although not particularly heart-warming because of this.
The bulk of The Phoenician Scheme‘s plot involves Korda making his way from one eccentric personality to another, arguing and asking for money. Hilarity ensues and these scenarios are fundamentally different but overall, it is a bit repetitive. Anderson has done much better with redemption character arcs previously. While I didn’t have an issue with this, I did find the film’s resolution to be a little underwhelming.
For the uninitiated, The Phoenician Scheme is a fine experience. For the long-time Wes Anderson fans, the film isn’t going to change minds on the filmmaker’s current period. Yet The Phoenician Scheme is another slick, stylish and funny adventure from my favourite director, Wes Anderson. It may not be his best work, nor be for everyone, but it’s still visually pleasing and entertaining. Personally, I had a great time but this is Wes Anderson making a film for me, maybe not for thee.