Time: 105 Minutes
Age Rating: M– Content may disturb
Cast:
Benicio del Toro as Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda
Mia Threapleton as Sister Liesl
Michael Cera as Bjørn Lund
Riz Ahmed as Prince Farouk
Tom Hanks as Leland
Bryan Cranston as Reagan
Mathieu Amalric as Marseille Bob
Richard Ayoade as Sergio
Jeffrey Wright as Marty
Scarlett Johansson as Cousin Hilda Sussman-Korda
Benedict Cumberbatch as Uncle Nubar Korda
Rupert Friend as Excalibur
Hope Davis as Mother Superior
Director: Wes Anderson

I was interested in The Phoenician Scheme with it being Wes Anderson’s next film, and it did not disappoint.

While some of the plot can get convoluted, The Phoenician Scheme is probably one of Wes Anderson’s more straightforward movies. Perhaps it’s less emotionally resonant compared to some of Anderson’s other movies, but it is warm and there’s a humanity to it. It’s also a hilarious movie, in fact I’d say that it is one of his funniest movies, and I was entertained throughout the whole runtime.

As per Anderson, The Phoenician Scheme has a great ensemble cast, but it is really anchored by the main trio in Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera. They share great chemistry and are delightful to watch, especially Cera. The father and daughter dynamic between del Toro and Threapleton is also touching and works well for the film. The rest of the cast including Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright and Benedict Cumberbatch are also really good in their parts.

Wes Anderson’s signature direction is on full display here. It is visually gorgeous with really colourful cinematography, great framing and blocking, on point editing, and really good production design. At the same time, Anderson finds ways to play around with his own style and even subverts it at some points. It’s also accompanied by Alexandre Desplat’s excellent score. Afterwards, I was surprised to learn that it was only 14 minutes in total because that music felt so present throughout that it felt like it was driving the whole thing, it was that effective and impactful.

The Phoenician Scheme is funny, endearing and entertaining, stylish and excellently directed, and with a great ensemble cast.