The Phoenician Scheme is unlikely to win Anderson new converts, but offers plenty of pointed fun.
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One of the funniest things for me has been my evolving relationship with Wes Anderson movies. Initially I was drawn to Anderson's deadpan style in his early films like The Royal Tennenbaums and Rushmore because they captured a detached but humorous take on things like growing up, falling in love. or dealing with tragedy. But those movies, in an era where everyone at my liberal arts college probably had at least one of these movies on DVD, were also overexposed and overhyped as peak movie making to the point that I started to resent said movies. But ever since The Grand Budapest Hotel my feeling towards Anderson has not only softened but also grown into a greater appreciation.
Partially because as his filmography continues, Anderson has gotten more introspective, seemingly more aware of his foibles and the emotional undercurrent beneath all of them. And also because Anderson's distinctive approach to filmmaking in visuals, line delivery and set design are all unique and distinctive amongst a sea of CGI spectacle or gritty independent projects. You watch a Wes Anderson movie a know from moment one you're watching a Wes Anderson movie and I dig that.
Which is why I was both surprised and delighted that Anderson make something akin to a live-action adventure comedy with his latest movie The Phoenician Scheme.
The Setup
Benicio Del Toro stars as a prolific arms dealer and industrialist named Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda who has narrowly avoided another assassination attempt. Now faced with his mortality more than even before, Korda decides to reach out to his estranged daughter, a novitiate named Liesel, make her his heir and bring her along to complete his greatest business gambit ever: The Phoenician Scheme. But can Korda stay alive long enough to make something meaningful out of his life?
The fun and difficulty with reviewing a Wes Anderson movie is that by this point his style is so established that highlighting the things you've come to expect like his variety of aspect ratios, theater-like approach to set design and even the tone of his movies can fold into one another. So instead I'm going to highlight what makes this movie stand-out amongst Anderson's filmography.
Some Familiar Themes, With A Strong New One
A recurring theme within Anderson's work is the relationship between parents and their children (or similar relationships), often through an unconventional lens. We've usually got a detached or aloof parent who is trying to find ways to bond with their child who perhaps has a bit more of their parents instincts in them than they would like to admit.
So with an estranged daughter who decided to join a convent bonding with her father and he travels and tries to carry out a giant business scheme is right on the money for Anderson's fascinations.
The main difference is Anatole who is concerned about his legacy. The movie very cheekily has Anatole essentially making the case for his life's worth in a stereotypical vision of heaven every time he almost dies, and as you'd expect for a business tyrant, it's not looking great. And in spite of how he feels about his gaggle of sons, his daughter is the main person he's concerned with impressing. He wants an heir who he not only feels a strong connection to, but also someone who sees value in what he's done.
All of which makes this giant road trip a journey to finding his moral compass and a life that actually has meaning in the guise of the titular scheme.
This disconnect between Anatole and baseline human morality is also a great source for dark deadpan jokes as he asks Heaven's reps the most obvious questions in the world (i.e. is slavery cool?) with a straight face. Benicio Del Toro is such a good fit with this character and I love that he's become a frequent Anderson collaborator.
A Road Trip Adventure
Another unique appeal of this movie is that the plot and our characters are in constant motion. We're globe hopping from one place to another and discovering what kind of half friendly/half-contentious relationship Anatole has with his business partners as he tries to fill in the monetary gap for hs grand scheme.
From the audience perspective this is a lot of a fun because it means each new reveal is a kind of comedy negotiation with a familiar Anderson player, and sometimes a new one, popping in for a comedy cameo as the other side. See Tom Hank and Bryan Cranston showing up as the ultimate movie and TV dad duo to represent American industrialists who negotiate via a game of horse.
All of which plays out like a deadpan live-action series of Looney Tunes bits which is...just fun. It's Wes and company being silly and putting it on screen and also doing thing he hasn't one with his style before like plane crashes or protacted fight scenes (not serious ones but still). I dig it.
Thematically this operates as an unconventional way for Liesel to truly learn about her father and see what his work entails. Something that's not explicitly said, but definitely apparently on screen, is how many of Anatole's business relationships mirror or contain elements of emotional connection, which demonstrates to Liesel and the audience that her father is capable of getting in touch with his emotions and also shows a softer human side than the industrialist image (amongst all the screaming).
A Light Takedown of Capitalism
It's very easy to read the entire setup of this movie as a dark joke about the mental state of our business oligarchs. Only when threatened with death for the umpteenth time and literally facing judgment at the pearly gates does a guy who's spent his whole life scheming, actually bother to question whether or not this is right way.
Not only that, but everyone else in the movie, be it the U.S. government, Anatole's business rivals and beyond are primarily motivated by their personal emotional state, not morality or even rationality.
It's also noteworthy that as bad as Anatole is portrayed in the media, he's not any worse than the U.S. government who's spying on him and conspiring against him or even his own brother who has been sending assassins after him for years.
A gentle reminder that the "rational" system of capitalism is not run by the best and brightest minds, but often a but of unevolved man children who think they're very important and brilliant.
The Verdict: An Upbeat Dark Comedy
Both darker and lighter than a lot of Anderson's work at the same time, The Phoenician Scheme is unlikely to win Anderson new converts, but offers plenty of pointed fun. 7/10
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