'The Phoenician Scheme' review: Wes Anderson delivers one of his sweetest movies yet
- Nate Adams
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Courtesy of Focus Features
A massive upgrade in terms of character and story (at least for me) compared to his last film “Asteroid City,” writer-director Wes Anderson delivers a more personal and sobering tale with “The Phoenician Scheme.” It doubles not only as another idiosyncratic fable with Anderson’s trademark meticulous framing and artistry, but also as a humorous and nurturing father-daughter story.
Anderson has confidently carved out his own genre over the course of his 12-film career. Even if his catalog can be hit or miss, most objective viewers would agree there’s always something worth praising. As he leans further into the style that defines his work, it seems with this latest effort, he’s also allowing himself more freedom to explore characters and themes that feel detached from his previous adventures.
Co-written with Roman Coppola and set in 1950, “The Phoenician Scheme” sees Benicio del Toro graduate from supporting roles in Anderson’s films like “The French Dispatch” to full-blown leading man. He plays Zsa-zsa Korda, a massively wealthy, controversial capitalist tycoon whose shady ethics and business practices have drawn global ire. The film opens with Zsa surviving yet another assassination attempt from unseen enemies who want him dead.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government imposes a crippling tariff on a crucial construction material for Zsa’s empire, prompting him to activate the titular “Phoenician Scheme”—a globe-trotting mission, hand grenades in tow, to renegotiate trade deals and secure new alliances before bankruptcy strikes.
Paranoid and increasingly isolated, Zsa turns to the one person he thinks he can trust: his estranged daughter Liesl (a breakout performance from Mia Threapleton), who is training to become a novitiate nun. He names her the sole heir to his fortune and brings her along, along with their family tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera, hilarious and destined to become a recurring Anderson player), to help seal deals with other global tycoons.
Among the wealthy elite they encounter are characters played by Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston, who engage in a very memorable game of the basketball staple P.I.G. Other cameos include Scarlett Johansson, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, and Benedict Cumberbatch, all leaning into their roles with the theatrical bravado Anderson fans expect. Cumberbatch, in particular, is a riot as the film’s main antagonist, sporting a bushy beard and the most formidable eyebrows in cinema. He looks like Rasputin’s reanimated cousin.
What makes this ride more rewarding than Anderson’s recent outings isn’t just the stacked cast or impressive visuals (though both are excellent), but the beating heart of the story: a man seeking redemption. Throughout the film, Zsa has surreal visions of heaven, featuring none other than Bill Murray as God—and yes, it’s exactly as amazing as it sounds.
Zsa begins as a self-absorbed jerk, but Liesl slowly chips away at his defenses. Their dynamic becomes the emotional core of the movie. She’s the only person who’s ever stood up to him, and there’s a mutual respect that grows into genuine affection. Their journey together is filled with unexpected detours that, as is typical for Anderson, don’t always make immediate sense, but still manage to enchant.
The visual design, courtesy of production designer Adam Stockhausen and art director Esther Schreiner, is as stunning as ever, and Alexandre Desplat’s score (he won an Oscar for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) smooths over any narrative bumps with grace. Unlike “Asteroid City” (which didn’t work for me) and “The French Dispatch” (which did), “The Phoenician Scheme” feels grounded in a world that makes emotional sense for its characters—even while skewering how the ultra-wealthy have historically caused irreparable harm.
It adds up to one of Anderson’s sweetest and, oddly enough, most down-to-earth films since the days of “Rushmore.” Del Toro and Threapleton are a remarkable on-screen pair, and while Anderson doesn’t take major risks with his visual style (if it ain’t broke…), the emotional stakes are higher here than usual. If this is the direction he’s heading, there’s real promise in seeing him focus more on characters like Zsa and Liesl: flawed, funny, and easy to root for.
Grade: B+
THE PHOENICAN SCHEME opens in theaters (everywhere) Friday, June 6th.