“The Phoenician Scheme” is the latest film from auteur director Wes Anderson, starring Benicio del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, a wealthy businessman and the target of never-ending assassination attempts. As Zsa-zsa pursues his latest enterprise — the titular Phoenician Scheme — he appoints his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a novice nun, as his heir. Accompanying them on their adventures is Bjorn (Michael Cera), Zsa-zsa’s insect tutor and administrative assistant.
Wes Anderson has developed into a love-him-or-hate-him director in recent years, with his projects and quirky style becoming increasingly divisive. I’ve always been a fan of Anderson’s, especially of his masterpiece “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” one of my all-time favorite films. Simply put, “The Phoenician Scheme” will not convert any doubters into Wes Anderson fans. Not because it’s more stylistic than his most esoteric works — it isn’t — but because the film is generally unremarkable. This is a classic good, not great movie.
“The Phoenician Scheme” shines where all other Anderson films likewise succeed: the technical prowess. Every shot is beautifully orchestrated and, when edited together, create that staple Wes Anderson precision. You feel squarely in the hands of a visual master, a filmmaker who consistently knows how to frame his subjects in the most compelling ways possible. The visuals are so well choreographed that not a second of this film feels dull; the entire piece is consistently engaging. Additionally, this is one of Alexandre Desplat’s finest Anderson scores, with an operatic quality that makes the film appear more epic than it actually is.
Also characteristic of Anderson’s filmography is his ensemble cast, consisting of enormous stars like Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson, although the main trio (del Toro, Threapleton, and Cera) are the true focus. Benicio del Toro is obviously a brilliant actor, one who delivers 110% no matter the role, and here he does his best with the limited character writing he is given. More on Zsa-zsa’s lack of character depth later. Michael Cera has been singled out by many reviews as a comedic standout, which he certainly is, although the third act takes a radical turn with his character that eliminated the humor, a decision I fundamentally disagreed with. Nonetheless, he was perfect casting and matches Wes Anderson’s style beautifully. For me, the true standout was Mia Threapleton, who absolutely nails the cold Anderson delivery with each of her scathing lines; she is the true heart of the film.
Where this film falters is its simultaneously overdeveloped and underdeveloped screenplay. Overdeveloped in that the narrative rushes through a million plot points and creates a confusing narrative, and underdeveloped in that it fails to have any dramatic or emotional weight. Zsa-zsa simply is not compelling as a lead, and since the film lacks both an interesting protagonist and the emotional depth of films like “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” there’s nothing for the audience to latch onto. Zsa-zsa’s mission to reconnect with his daughter feels so lifeless because Zsa-zsa scarcely has any memorable character traits. He’s just a calm businessman. There’s nothing comparable in his character to the immense guilt of Steve Zissou or the incredible comedic timing of M. Gustave or the blind impulsivity of Mr. Fox.
When people complain about Anderson, they may think the problem is his radical style, but the real issue plaguing his lesser films are scripts lacking compelling character dynamics to thrust the story forward in an emotionally gripping manner. Without the necessary character depth, the film falls into style over substance, not because the style necessarily overwhelms the substance but because the substance is simply inadequate. “The Phoenician Scheme” fundamentally fails to create a memorable character.
Thus, Wes Anderson has crafted a flawed but ultimately good film in “The Phoenician Scheme.” His direction, humor, and quick pacing create a consistently entertaining movie, but the insufficient character writing prevents the film from being particularly unique. I know Anderson can do better because he has done far better. If he can just write a script with compelling character dynamics like he did in his prime, then his next film will excel.
B