[Film Review] The Phoenician Scheme

The masterful Wes Anderson is back with his 12th(!) film, and this time around he’s devised The Phoenician Scheme, an industrialist-themed yarn that blitzes with style and rattles with hilarity. Here, we bear witness to an artist working at the height of their craft. It’s truly splendid cinema.  

Set in the 50s, the story zooms in on Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a slippery tycoon with a controversial aura. He’s had multiple brushes with death (and the law), we get the impression that he’s probably screwed over a lot of people, and there might even be an assassin or five out for his head. He’s also got 10 kids. After seeing visions of his judgment day, he decides to anoint his only daughter (a nun played by Mia Threapleton - Kate Winslet’s daughter, for those keeping score of talented nepos) as the sole heir to his estate—but on a trial basis. Anderson deploys his signature boxy aesthetic to literal levels, as the tightly organized plot unfolds through a series of shoeboxes that contain Korda’s enterprise plans…er…schemes would be more accurate.

What ensues is a comedic caper of suspicious events and idiosyncratic characters. This thing is hysterical. It’s delightfully absurd and absurdly delightful. The clever script is packed with dialogue that is as droll as it is sophisticated, and there are plenty of sight gags stuffed in—my favorite being a high-stakes game of basketball where Benicio del Toro and Riz Ahmed square off against a duo of cantankerous investors played by Tom Hanks and Brian Cranston. The scene stresses the wise notion that you should always be prepared—because you just never know when a game of basketball might break out. Benicio del Toro gives a stellar central performance, and his comic timing and overall delivery are excellent. A patented who’s who cast comprises the eccentric ensemble of supporting characters: Michael Cera (shockingly, his first role in a Wes Anderson film), Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Richard Ayoade, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Bill Murray, to name a few.

As expected, Wes Anderson’s defining traits as a filmmaker are on full display here. The visuals are painterly, picturesque, and cinematic all at once. Every frame is exquisitely staged, and every scene is a hoot and a half. There’s a significant emphasis on architecture and interior design, and if you pay close attention to the depth and dimension of each setting, the details are astonishing—right down to the texture and color palettes. It’s as if a lot of the shots were ripped from an issue of Architectural Digest that Wes Anderson curated in his imagination. I also must mention the truly superb opening credits scene, which boasts a striking overhead shot that sets the tone for the film while also leaving a lasting impression. Wes Anderson has perfected the craft of introductory sequences, which often feels like a lost art these days. Even the closing credits have personality. From beginning to end, this is a film film. 

With a title like The Phoenician Scheme, it’s only fitting that the intricate narrative stacks on the twists, turns, and reveals. But what’s most surprising are the sneakily tender moments, along with the themes of fate, faith, and family. With this film, Wes Anderson proves that he’s one of the greatest auteurs in contemporary cinema. All elements considered, it feels like he’s just as much of an engineer as he is a filmmaker at this point. When Korda utters the line, “Don’t buy great art, buy masterpieces,” it feels like a challenge. Get your basketball gear on.

* 10/10 *