THE STORY – Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.
THE CAST – Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend & Hope Davis
THE TEAM – Wes Anderson (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 105 Minutes
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Wes Anderson is one of cinema’s most distinct visual artists and storytellers. An often memed and replicated but never duplicated stylist, his films have cultivated a legion of followers and worshipers who believe wholeheartedly that he can do no wrong. There are some who prefer his earlier work and those who do not vibe with his aesthetic at all. But for the most part, Anderson is one of the most beloved filmmakers we have working today. This must be said at the top because his latest film, “The Phoenician Scheme,” is definitely one of his weaker efforts to date while still retaining his signature flair for balanced images, quirky, fast-paced dialogue, and cooky characters often played by his recurring go-to-actors with the occasional newbie amongst the troupe.
High up in the Balka Flatlands in 1950, the ominous tones of Alexandre Desplat’s score ring in, and a plane crash starts Anderson’s latest off with a bloody bang. This is the sixth plane crash Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) has survived after repeated assassination attempts. He is a wealthy, crooked businessman who has angered the wrong people, led by Excaliber (Rupert Friend), and now they are after him and his business empire. A controversial figure with an estranged daughter training to become a nun (Mia Threapleton, Kate Winslet’s daughter) and nine sons he never sees, who live in a house across the street from his lavish mansion adorned with breathtaking works of art (“Never buy quick photos, buy masterpieces” he tells his daughter Liesl), Korda survives the crash and walks away on his own two feet (with a bloody organ in hand, to boot, because it needs to be established early that nothing can kill this man. Is he being protected by some divine power?). However, whenever he has a near-death experience, he witnesses a trial for his life by holy biblical figures (including Bill Murray as God himself), all shot in black and white by Bruno Delbonnel, taking over from Anderson’s regular DP Robert Yeoman. The recent attempts on his life force him to sign over the deeds of his estate, everything he’s working on, and the troubles he’ll likely create for his daughter. He wants her to be his sole heir, while she sees the opportunity as a way to use her father’s business affairs as a means to do good in the world. As he describes it, the “most important project of his lifetime” is the Phoenician Scheme: a business investment into railroads, tunnels, a dam, and roads in Phoenicia with various partners (played by Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Mathieu Amalric, and Benedict Cumberbatch), where he will blackmail, trick, or intimidate each of them into lowering their stake in the venture so that the funds may pass down to him. As they travel by plane and avoid further assassins, Liesl and Zsa-Zsa are accompanied by Bjørn Lund, a tutor who fancies Liesl. So, we have a businessman, a religious woman, and a scientist meeting with the business partners of the Phoenician Scheme, offering hand grenades as symbolic gestures of goodwill, playing two-on-two basketball (opposite America’s dads Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston) to decide business outcomes, dodging bullets from political revolutionaries (led by Richard Ayoade), and engaging in more absurdities in Anderson’s latest. Sounds fun, right? What could possibly go wrong?
While many are hoping this will be reminiscent of Anderson’s often-considered best work, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Phoenician Scheme” feels as if it is treading water for the director and his usual proclivities. It doesn’t help that Zsa-Zsa is one of the most despicable characters Anderson has ever given us. He is a ruthless, cutthroat, cruel businessman who doesn’t have a shred of empathy in his demeanor. His daughter commandingly asks him, “God is absent (in his life). Why?” Although Anderson gives an answer for why Zsa-Zsa is the way he is, the emotion behind this answer is not earned by del Toro’s stoic performance or Anderson’s quick-paced dialogue. There is an opportunity here to provide commentary on why the top 1% are the way they are while the rest of the world, and pretty much everyone in their life, suffers as they seek to obtain more wealth and power. But that is sidelined for Anderson’s silliness, which sometimes lands amusingly, but here, it oftentimes does not.
Michael Cera benefits the most from working with Anderson, as the actor gets the chance to use a Swedish accent and bring his signature awkwardness to the character’s own gawkiness. Threapleton is also a standout in what will likely be a breakthrough role for the young British actress. Echoing her mother, Kate Winslet’s sharp gaze and deadpan comedic delivery, Threapleton radiates charisma off the screen, even when the character, who never smiles, not once, is as dim as they come. Del Toro, a strong thespian in his own right who previously worked with Anderson on “The French Dispatch,” is given a lead role here that should afford him many opportunities in comedy and drama, which any other actor would dream of. However, while del Toro does rise to the occasion (as we know he can), the results are still somewhat mixed. This is due to the character’s writing and the general lack of warmth del Toro brings to the role, even when he’s supposedly meant to connect with his daughter and share more sentimental moments of understanding and healing.
The crafts in Anderson’s films are always exceptional, and “The Phoenician Scheme” is no different. From the plane crash that starts the film to the overhead shot of the tiled bathroom floor accompanying the opening credits to the sumptuous production design in every single shot, Anderson’s craftsmanship is beyond reproach. Evoking a look similar to the 1940s and 1950s, whether it’s “Lawrence of Arabia” or “Black Narcissus,” Anderson, Delbonnel, and production designer, Adam Stockhausen, are all working at the top of their game, backed by another memorable Alexandre Desplat score. It’s just a shame that the editing by Barney Pilling suffers the most in this outing. From continuity errors to mismatched cuts to the overall pacing that makes this 105-minute film feel longer than it actually is, it’s the one area that feels lacking compared to all others.
While those expecting typical Wes Anderson fare will likely get what they came for with “The Phoenician Scheme,” there’s no denying the director has provided more substantial efforts with poignant and memorable results. Certain aspects, such as the crafts and the performances from Cera and Threapleton, are striking all the right qualities to make this another Anderson outing worth examining. But outside of the shenanigans and the surface-level reading of a lack of religion in a dishonest man’s life, there isn’t as much to pry into here compared to “The Grand Budapest Hotel” or “Asteroid City.” Much like Tarantino, Scorsese, Lynch, or any other revered filmmaker, opinions may differ from person to person regarding their favorite Wes Anderson film and how they would rank his work. Just because “The Phoenician Scheme” didn’t land the plane as successfully as many of his other projects doesn’t mean it will be the same for everyone else. Those expecting anything different from the acclaimed filmmaker should know this is more of the same. For those already subscribed to his whimsical style mixed with profound depth, you may get precisely what you’ve come for, even though there’s more of the former than the latter to be found here.
