The Phoenician Scheme
At this point, I feel like everyone knows where they are on the Wes Anderson spectrum of fandom. I respect his commitment to his style and love a few of his movies, but I would not consider him a personal favorite filmmaker of mine. With his latest film, my feelings remind me of after I watched “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and “The French Dispatch”- his style is there in spades, but narratively, I have no emotional connection to the characters, even if I like some of the performances. I also find myself think it’s time for him to switch things up with his behind-the-scenes collaborators.
The main character of “The Phoenician Scheme” is Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), a wealthy businessman who is often the recipient of murder attempts; when we first see him, his plane is set to crash. He somehow survives, but we also see him in the afterlife, where he is not doing so well. On Earth, he decides to take action, which includes enlisting his estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), to take over his business once he gets his affairs in order. There’s a catch- she is going into a convent at the end of the month. Reluctantly, she agrees, and their travels begin. He is trying to secure the funding for the infrastructure of Phoenicia, a small country. In their journey, he is attempting to resolve financial discrepancies known as The Gap- which is what is keeping him from completing the process- by talking with his investors and usual fixers. Joining them is Bjorn (Michael Cera), a tudor Korda has hired to teach his other children (all young boys who live across the street), who could be useful.
There is definitely an emotional center that Anderson wants to arrive to regarding Korda redeeming his life, and finding value in family over wealth and possessions. The problem lies in how the style and wicked humor of his film obscures any emotional resonance the film attempts. It feels like Anderson and co-writer Roman Coppola are more interested in the absurdist comedy of their caper than landing the emotions. In that respect, they succeed, but it leaves the film feeling flat and static. I know I enjoy the aesthetic of Anderson’s films- the distinctive production design, the familiar shot blocking, the offbeat musical choices (here, I really love Alexandre Desplat’s score)- and the particular acting choices Anderson encourages. I love the recent additions to his troupe like Tom Hanks and Jeffrey Wright (both of whom play some of Korda’s associates here) and Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays Korda’s vindictive brother). We also get Brian Cranston (whose dynamic with Hanks is wonderful), Cera (who was born to play a Wes Anderson character) and Riz Ahmed (as Prince Farouk of Phoenicia). As Korda, Del Toro has a terrific role here- one that feels very inspired by a certain South African billionaire- but as Liesl, Threapleton doesn’t really have the chops to keep up with him. That is part of why the emotions don’t work in this film; the detachment of Anderson’s screenplay is another part. Maybe with a reunion with a past writing collaborator, he could make his work feel alive again, rather than just a filmmaker cosplaying himself.
