After 12 films now it’s probably time to definitively decide where you land on Wes Anderson. A singular filmmaker so in tune with his own style it’s basically become a genre unto itself. With that, it means that Anderson isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok.
What isn’t is asking a leopard to change its spots, and heading into “The Phoenician Scheme” under the assumption that you’re going to get anything other than what Wes Anderson does is extremely misguided. Asking him to change when he has made it abundantly clear throughout his entire career that he has no intention of doing so is setting yourself up for failure. Additionally, it may be time to admit you’re not really a Wes Anderson fan, which is also ok. You don’t need to pretend. He’s got enough diehard fans that cling to his dollhouse symmetry and quirky characters and at this point is looking to gain new or worse, fake fans.
That being said, “The Phoenician Scheme” is once again a polarizing entry into Anderson’s canon, further revealing the true colors of fairweather pretenders and sparking plenty of debates about the direction of the director. Anderson is often defined by what came before his newest release, showing growth within himself as he tackles new ideas and philosophical ideals through his tried and true style. You have to take his films in batches. Most of which we won’t get into here, but it’s important to enjoyment (or displeasure) of “The Phoenician Scheme” to at least examine how it compares to “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City.” I was out on the former and in on the latter, but where you fall on his more philosophical musings about art, artists, creations, and the turmoil of writing and directing and relationships built with his viewers on a meta-textual level matters tremendously. If you loved both of those films and longed for Anderson to continue that introspective trajectory, you’ll more than likely be let down by this latest outing.
While this entry has some remnants of his last two films, it is by far and away his silliest and most mainstream film since probably “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” That’s not to say it doesn’t have anything to say, just that it’s not nearly as pensive even if its still extremely personal as his other more recent films. And it’s here where people are either on or off the train. Many may want him to continue the exploration of big ideas, and the simplicity here has soured some fans. For me, since I was split down the middle, I absolutely dug the hell out of this one. I’m a fan of both the somber, abstract Anderson and the silly, lighter, and extremely absurdist Anderson, so it worked for me. It is Anderson in his most purest form, brushing on topics of religion and parenting and corporate espionage and the legacy we leave behind but is ultimately more concerned with just being a quirky, entertaining adventure.
“The Phoenician Scheme” stars Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, a ruthless business man and tycoon who is constantly targeted by assassins, government officials and fellow businessmen all of whom want him dead and out of the game. Fearing that he won’t survive much longer after yet another attempt on his life, he names his estranged daughter Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as his sole heir so long as she leave the convent and help achieve his last major business scheme that will ensure the family remains rich for years to come. Before the plan can come to fruition, his enemies have worked to completely destroy his venture, leaving Zsa-zsa, Leisi and their new bug tutor Bjørn Lund (Michael Cera) to quickly travel to each investor and renegotiate their terms before it’s too late. It also stars Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Jeffery Wright, Rupert Friend, Richard Ayoade, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mathieu Amalric, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Hope Davis, Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and F. Murray Abraham.
Anderson always overloads his cast and packs it with recurring performers, and most of the time they have blink and you miss it parts. “The Phoenician Scheme” is no different, with a large majority of the cast showing up for small, quick scenes, the primary focus on del Toro, Threapleton, and Cera. All three are excellent, completely dialed into Anderson’s unique cadence and delivery, but it’s the long awaited Anderson/Cera pairing that is the definition of a match made in heaven. It’s hard to believe this is the first time these two have ever worked together. Cera feels born to be in a Wes Anderson film, and his performance here is better than anything anyone could’ve ever hoped for. Threapleton also seems to fully understand the Wes assignment, fitting right at home as the deadpan protagonist against the more absurd characters like Cera and del Toro. Most of Anderson’s work relies on the cast and their ability to perform with the worlds he creates, and this may just have the best triple lead combination to date. The three of them just know what their director wants and chew through the material with expert delivery.
When stripped of its bolder concepts about religion and legacy – both ideas that heavily permeate here- the film is really a father/daughter adventure story. All of the corporate jargon and investor pricing and even the scheme itself are secondary to the relationship between Zsa zsa and Leisi, which seems to be what Anderson is truly interested in. Legacy and mortality and heaven and biblical interpretations are all filtered through this relationship, something that feels deeply personal to him and what he wants to leave behind for his real life daughter. It may be silly and whimsical on the surface which serves as a detractor for fans of his previous work, but it still bares all the markings of the best indulgences and still has something to say about himself and his work through larger than life characters. I think we’ve forgotten how funny Wes Anderson films actually are, and this is a return to form in that area.
It’s also his least symmetrically framed and violent film to date, most of which is played for laughs but isn’t always as concerned with the strictness of his signature style. There’s some camera work experimentation throughout the film, none of which feel like he shouldn’t do that but for fans it’s enough to notice that he’s trying something different with the confines of his own picturesque landscapes. There’s a Rube Goldberg quality, and the journey at times feels more interesting than the destination. I won’t seek to invalidate any of the criticisms that find this one to be a bit lacking and not as creatively sound as some of his previous work. But I’m one to take Anderson at what most concerns him at the moment and not so much what I would prefer he tackle. This is the most fun Anderson has been in years, and I think it is sure to satisfy fans who are looking for some of that more lighter, absurdist work Wes does so well. It is his funniest film in years too, the dialogue as sharp as ever delivered with perfect inflection surrounded by some of the most gorgeous and elaborate production design fit for the best of Wes.
While this may not be in my top 5 favorite Wes Anderson films, I would still rank it above most in a dissent from many others who would probably push it towards the bottom. Where you fall on his last two films will most likely determine where you fall here- the easy, breezy execution of a more simple story (at least thematically) only working for those who aren’t clamoring for more musings about a play within a play within a movie told through a tv documentary about the making of a documentary. I think Anderson and fans have enough room for both, and “The Phoenician Scheme” goes down pretty smooth if you’re willing to let it.
If for nothing else, we finally got Michael Cera in a Wes Anderson film, and I cannot wax poetic enough about how perfect that is. I am eternally grateful to this film for making this dream come true and I hope they keep collaborating forever.
Now, where do I get hand grenades to give out as gifts when I meet people? I know, I’m too kind.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“The Phoenician Scheme” is now playing in select theaters with a wide release on June 6th. You can watch the trailer below.
