The Phoenician Schemeis a hilarious return to deadpan form for Wes Anderson, whose last effort,Asteroid City, pushed abstraction off a cliff and was only accessible to die-hard fans. Here, Anderson corrects course with a supremely entertaining and bonkers adventure that’s chock-full of his trademark style. Benicio del Toro leads a typically impressive cast to wacky glory, but it’s a pair of supporting performances from Mia Threapleton and a knockdown-funny Michael Cera that will have audiences rolling in the aisles. That said,The Phoenician Schemeis by no means flawless, as Anderson’s scenes linger beyond the laughs.
Aerophobics be warned:The Phoenician Schemehas plane crashes aplenty, and begins with a literal bang high above the Balkans in 1950.Zsa-zsa Korda (del Toro), a wealthy arms dealer and duplicitous businessman known as “Mr. Five Percent,” survives another assassination attempt by the legion of enemies who are constantly trying to kill him. His normal flippancy regarding near death fades, however, when Korda realizes they may actually succeed.
Assassination Games
The Phoenician Scheme
Korda summonshis daughter Liesl (Threapleton)to their palatial family estate. Korda has 10 children, and Liesl is the oldest — and the only female. Liesl hadn’t seen her father since her mother’s mysterious murder (the cruel fate for all his wives) as a child, and was raised in a seminary. Now a seemingly devout nun, Liesl abhors Korda, but needs to know what happened to her mother. He must be punished if he was complicit in her death.
Liesl is stunned when Korda announces her as the sole heir to his vast fortune, presenting her with shoe boxes filled with the details of the “Phoenician scheme,” his plan to remake an impoverished Middle Eastern country through massive infrastructure projects. But there’s “a gap” in funding, and so he must redo deals with surly business partners who despise and distrust him. The strained father and daughter embark for Phoenicia withBjørn Lund (Cera), Korda’s Norwegian insectologist tutor and administrative assistant, in tow.
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Anderson (Rushmore,Fantastic Mr. Fox,The Grand Budapest Hotel)divides the film into segments, each introducing a new player. It’s a prime set-up for staging shenanigans, eventually building to a climactic showdown with Korda’s worst adversary. (You’ll have to watch to discover the film’s true villain.) The result is one of the funniest finales of Anderson’s career. He succeeds in going bigger and nuttier as the meetings proceed — let’s just say Korda’s negotiation strategies aren’t remotely sound or clever.
Anderson intercuts the primary narrative with a black-and-white Biblical subplot, as Korda has visions of his trial before God every time he’s almost killed. These scenes reveal hidden truths and the source behind Korda’s insatiable greed — he’s unscrupulous in getting what he wants, with little thought to those harmed by his actions. Here, Anderson and longtime story collaborator Roman Coppola mock religion’s take on thorny subjects like slavery. This skewering also extends to Liesl’s interpretation of her faith: She doesn’t drink, but beer, communion wine, and cocktails humorously don’t rise to her definition of alcohol.
Shady Business Dealings
The Phoenician Schemehas impressive visuals that continue Anderson’s brilliant use of dollies and lateral tracking shots. These have become expected in all of Anderson’s films, but the technique never gets stale thanks to Anderson’s astounding creativity. He does get more graphic here, with bloody violence that catches you by surprise.The Phoenician Schemehas a sizable body count, a somewhat grim departure from previous works that’s purposely jarring. Anderson also keeps Korda bruised and battered as a reminder of the stakes as this arms dealer gets a bitter taste of comeuppance.
Threapleton and Cera have to be praised for their substantial contribution to the film’s sharp comedy. Liesl is initially stone-faced and measured in her responses to Korda’s insane theatrics, but her demeanor changes as she starts to care for his well-being. Liesl represents the compassion and human connection that Korda subconsciously craves: He’s done bad things with little regret, but intrinsically isn’t an evil person. Liesl recognizes there’ssomething salvageable below the surface, becomeing the child that Korda always wanted as the scheme plays out in ways neither could have imagined.
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But Cera’s turn as Bjørn is the film’s best asset. There’s a lot more than meets the eye to the goofy bug tutor, and Bjørn undergoes a significant transformation as the plot thickens and his schoolboy crush on Liesl develops into full-blown ardor. Conversely, Liesl sees Bjørn in a different light after the curtain falls on multiple facades: Light is the best disinfectant for this unlikely pair.
The Phoenician Schemeskirts a four-star rating, but falls short because of pacing issues. The film could have flowed better with less conceit. Anderson’s too enamored with his cast and production design: There’s no need to stare at shoe boxes, dinner tables and other mundane items for longer than necessary. Cut, move on, and keep the narrative brisk. Save the lingering for when it’s required for real artistic effect.
The Phoenician Schemeis a production of Indian Paintbrush and American Empirical Pictures. It will have a limited theatrical release on May 30th, followed by national distribution on June 6th from Focus Features.
