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The Phoenician Scheme once again takes us into the extraordinary world of Oscar winning Director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Asteroid City) with all the usual striking style and flair, creating a must see for old travellers (who may not think this is his best sojourn) and a good entry for new visitors – you will enjoy your stay.
For this trip, Anderson teams up with repeat co-writer and collaborator Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, The Darjeeling Limited) with cinematographer duties performed by multi Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel (known for his work with Tim Burton and the Coen Brothers) added to this the stellar ensemble cast, what could go wrong.
Delivered in the usual Anderson storytelling style, the story is set in 1950 and begins with arms dealing industrial Zsa-Zsa Korda (“Mr Five Per Cent”) escaping his sixth assassination attempt with his plane being sabotaged resulting in his brief encounter in the afterlife facing an eternal judgment. As a result of this encounter Korda makes an offer to his only daughter and Nun, Lisle, to become the potential successor of his business. The meeting is attended by Bjørn, an Norwegian entomologist, who is engaged to tutor Korda and becomes employed as his administrative secretary.
Korda is pursued by a consortium of dodgy businesses, headed by Excalibur, who have come together to fix the price of bashable rivets to bring down Korda’s grand scheme to overhaul the infrastructure of Phoenicia. The film is divided into parts as Korda seeks to fill the gap of his scheme with encounters with various family members and benefactors. The action is zany and reaches a riotous conclusion.
The cast is phenomenally talented including Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch (with fantastic beard), Mathieu Amalric, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed, Rupert Friend, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Ayoade, Michael Cera and Hope Davis. Their talents may be somewhat underutilised, except for Richard Ayoade who is a scene stealer. Benicio Del Toro as Korda carries the movie and Mia Threapleton as Lisle is excellently deadpan.
A general theme of Anderson films is the examination of relationships, this one looks at the relationship between father and daughter in a family business.
The Phoenician Scheme is Anderson’s thirteenth offering and while it may not be his best any visit to this remarkable domain is always worth the fare.
Welcome back to Wes World, please enjoy the ride!
Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
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