The Phoenician Scheme, 2025.
Written and Directed by Wes Anderson.
Starring 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, Bill Murray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, and F. Murray Abraham.
SYNOPSIS:
The story of a family and a family business.
International business tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) can’t leave his estate or get on a plane without assassins attempting to take him out. Since The Phoenician Scheme is the latest film from the quirky writer/director Wes Anderson (conceiving the story alongside Roman Coppola), there is a playfully comedic approach to these brushes with death, with each one knocking him into a black-and-white afterlife session, seemingly having his life judged by God, as he hasn’t always been the most noble person. He is as greedy as he is ambitious, but this isn’t solely limited to business, as he is also accused of having murdered his ex-wives, which is one of many reasons he is now estranged from his daughter, Novitiate Liesl (Mia Threapleton).
Following this latest assassination attempt, Zsa-zsa has decided that of his ten children (nine of them young boys of varying ages), he should prepare to hand over his family business to Liesl, whom he hasn’t seen in quite some time but is already ready to convince her to disavow becoming a nun, stating that she can still keep her faith. Way off in the corner of the room listening in is a newly assigned tutor, Bjorn (Michael Cera putting on a European accent), obsessed with insects and all things science, who is soon brought into this fold, therefore creating a fascinating dynamic between religion, science, and business ethics.
There is still a healthy amount of oddball humor and bizarre dialogue bits (Zsa-zsa also adopts children under the reasoning that one of them might be the next Albert Einstein, and possibly because his actual children are nuances with one of them shooting off her crossbow indoors when he is explaining highly confidential information about his business to his daughter), but the fractured father-daughter relationship at the heart of what is also a story about ensuring his carefully constructed plans for the fictional state of Phoenicia (development of numerous infrastructures across several districts) are seen to fruition even if he is murdered, also has a moving, thoughtful emotional pull. There is also something evil and somewhat reflective of our times blending in with those laughs. After all, it has a redemption arc founded upon regret and facing mortality.
Sometimes, for better or worse, The Phoenician Scheme plays out as a series of skits stitched together, with the father, daughter, and tutor heading off to each market in hopes of keeping financial agreements regarding these developments together. On top of the assassination attempts, the American government is also seeking to sabotage these plans. When the primary characters aren’t bouncing off one another regarding the themes mentioned above, this is an opportunity for Wes Anderson to call in as many favors as possible for the usual offbeat deadhead humor he has skillfully made a successful career out of. And who can blame him since these are recognizable and charismatic presences aware of how to make his material pop, with Mia Threapleton serving as a terrific new addition to his inner circle.
Without spoiling too much, this involves extended cameos from Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston throwing down a basketball challenge, Benedict Cumberbatch sporting a lengthy beard as a wicked uncle, Bill Murray in a very fitting small but scene-stealing role, and more. Meanwhile, Bjorn wonders if Liesl could ever love someone like him, as they challenge one another intellectually and open each other up.
Wes Anderson also gets the most out of the German studio the film was shot in, crafting more visually appealing backdrops ranging from airborne planes to deserts to jungles, all once again with impeccably clean and symmetrical framing from cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel. It’s also quite action-packed, with frequent collaborator Alexandre Desplat’s score playing into that with a combination of propulsive thrust and farcical silliness; this is still a movie where characters amusingly handout grenades to one another as greeting gifts (a funny sight gag that also provides something to ponder) and a chandelier is repeatedly shot yet never destroyed.
Aside from the narrative, there isn’t much that separates this from your standard Wes Anderson film. At this point, one knows what they’re getting into. His last two didn’t quite work and came across as his distinct style with almost no substance. The Phoenician Scheme brings irreverent humor, but it also has the emotional pulse missing from those recent films..
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
