One thing is for sure, Wes Anderson will keep repeating the same signature formula he has honed and defined over the years and film lovers and movie stars will flock to whatever he has to offer. Such is the case for his latest, The Phoenician Scheme, which stars Benicio Del Toro and a whole cast of his usual favorites alongside some newcomers like Riz Ahmed and Mia Threapleton.
If you’re looking for yet another charming Wes Anderson film, this will fit your bill. But as charming as it is, it is way past due that a major shakeup is badly needed as his films are becoming more like beautiful museum pieces devoid of any spontaneity.
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) appoints his only daughter (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins. This is pretty much the only thing to remember as the rest of the film becomes convoluted in unnecessary storylines, wacky characters, and even wackier hijinks.
The Phoenician Scheme seems to make a passing commentary about oligarchs and such men who lack compassion for others but the majority of the focus, like one would expect in a Wes Anderson film, will be on the characters who say their lines in very stilted manners amongst the colorful pastel set designs which will be jolted by a few moments of chaotic violence. It does seem, however, that with each successive film, Anderson’s characters become more and more ornate and stilted, to the point that they function more like wax figures than actual human beings.
Out of all of the actors in the film, the one who comes out most successful is Michael Cera as Bjorn, which makes one wonder why he was never cast in a Wes Anderson film in the past because these two are simply made for each other. There are so many subtle mannerisms that Cera inputs into his character that he steals the movie in every scene he is in. It is the kind of performance that elevates a film like this, similar to how Ralph Fiennes did with The Grand Budapest Hotel (which I still think is the last great film Anderson has made).
As much of a scene stealer Cera is, the film is anchored by Benicio Del Toro and Mia Threapleton, both who do a commendable job providing the core in this father-daughter relationship that is a change of pace from the usual father-son dynamic Anderson applies for most of his films. I do appreciate that a Puerto Rican actor like Del Toro is cast as the lead for this and we absolutely buy that he is a wealthy European tycoon. The biggest problem, however, with these two characters are that they are both rather still characters, with Threapleton being the most still with her droll and deadpan delivery (to which she does quite well).
I have unfortunately come to notice that most, if not all, of Wes Anderson’s women characters do not have much of a distinguishing character trait other than to be deadpan or to be the supportive wife/girlfriend. All of Anderson’s films are heavily male dominated and rarely does a woman get to take the center spotlight and showcase their eccentricities that goes beyond deadpan. This storytelling trope is something I hope that gets rectified sooner rather than later.
I am starting to recognize more global majority actors that are part of Wes Anderson’s ensemble and they include Steve Park, Jeffrey Wright, and F. Murray Abraham (Tony Revolori who was present in two more Anderson films after his main role of The Grand Budapest Hotel was not in this film) who make the most of the short scenes they’re in. With the addition of Riz Ahmed and Richard Ayoade, I hope to see them incorporated more as they were fantastic in their roles as Prince Farouk and the freedom fighter leader Sergio, respectively. Both of these actors are exceptional in talent and I can only hope to see them in much more prominent roles in future Anderson films.
The biggest problem facing Wes Anderson is that he is more interested in style over substance, without a beating heartbeat that gives it the chaotic spark that was present in his earlier films. He is all too aware of his signature stamp in filmmaking, and he refuses to budge in making any alterations to it. Some will say that this is the sign of a confident filmmaker who takes ownership of their own voice; I say that his characters are becoming more brittle and having less and less humanity with each successive film. While there is no doubt that these films remain gorgeous to look at, the sacrifice is that the raw, ugly, and beautiful spontaneity of life becomes missing.
The Phoenician Scheme
Directed by Wes Anderson
Story by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
Screenplay by Wes Anderson
Produced by Wes Anderson, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, and John Peet
Focus Features will release The Phoenician Scheme domestically with a limited release on Friday, May 30 and expand wide on Friday, June 6.
