As someone who has been fascinated by the artistic mind of Wes Anderson, I found The Phoenician Scheme to be a mix of politics combined with jealousy and egos. I adore Anderson’s craft because his setups and the background of his characters are always created for the audience to feel in tune. He also brings inbig names to his projects, and this film has many.

Before diving into the many cinematic adventures of The Phoenician Scheme. I am going to introduce the main characters. There is Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), Liesl (Mia Threapleton), Bjorn (Michael Cera), Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), Leland (Tom Hanks), Reagan (Bryan Cranston), Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric), Sergio (Richard Ayoade), Marty (Jeffrey Wright), Cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), Excalibur (Rupert Friend), and Mother Superior (Hope Davis). All of them are of major importance to The Phoenician Scheme. Some play roles in the classic XYZ pattern of deceit which is something Anderson has mastered in the most colorful and auteur way.

The arthouse vibe may be alive in this film, but the pacing is off. The film is set to focus on Zsa-Zsa Korda, who has done many bad deeds which have put his life in peril with many trying to assassinate him. The 1950s setting and the era of newspapers and old-school characterizations fuels the wealthy class of criminality in The Phoenician Scheme. Bjorn is the tutor and Liesl his daughter. Soon they find themselves at the end of Zsa-Zsa and his plans to run away or set up backups if people come after him. The writing and dynamics are plausible, but Wes tries too hard to add unexpected components for dramatic takes. For example, one moment there will be danger, and then in the next there will be someone imagining their life after they die. It is not done with a serious tone, but Wes utilizes his brain so much that the result is not as fulfilling as his fans might expect.

As usual, the film continues to focus on the quirkiness and cleverness of its characters, including the politicians and acquaintances of Zsa-Zsa namely Marty, Prince Farouk, Reagan, and Leland.  In most cases, Zsa-Zsa has somehow betrayed them in the past. In fact, Zsa-Zsa’s hiding is the central conflict of the film. The story moves forward with him trying to navigate these conflicts with the help of Bjorn and Liesl. Their presence is somewhat eerie, and the storyline ends up doing a bit of a tango. It is not so easy to put together the various pieces or clearly understand the background. 

This is not my favorite film, but it still carries Anderson’s signature craftsmanship as a director in many scenes. Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Toro and Cera who are key to the film’s humor in matters that would normally be perceived as serious. In the end, this film is the result of Wes being in his own world. While joyful in some parts, the surface overall keeps degrading. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for The Phoenician Scheme.