The Best Movies, TV Shows, Theater, Books and Music Arriving in May
Perhaps because we're on the cusp of summer, this month's best cultural offerings are all about the slow burn. Whether it's straight-up action or something more cerebral, get ready for some big reveals.
The Phoenician Scheme
King of twee Wes Anderson is set to deliver yet another star-stuffed feature, this time in the form of an espionage thriller. Benicio del Toro plays one of Europe's richest men, supported by a cast of such up-and-comers as Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jeffrey Wright. May 30
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Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
‘The Phoenician Scheme' review: Wes Anderson and Co. embark on an elaborate save-a-soul mission
A peculiar tension exists inside nearly every frame created by writer-director Wes Anderson. The geometric visual preoccupation of the framing; the actors, sometimes in motion but more frequently motionless; the manifestation of storytelling as a series of the prettiest shoebox dioramas in modern cinema: It's more than a style or a look to Anderson. It's his way of seeing the world through a lens of comic stoicism, right at the edge of art-installation territory. The tension in those images comes from two places. The unfortunate place: When the comic banter or monologuing strains for laughs, or goes sideways, it sometimes dies an extra, tiny, momentary death because of the arch, extreme formality of the presentation. The more fortunate source of tension is where the actors live. In Anderson's lavishly talented ensembles, the majority of the performers fulfill the basic requirements of being in a Wes Anderson movie, which can involve spitting out long reams of dialogue quickly, directly, without a lot of sauce. It also involves the task of portraying a human in a specific realm of unreality and in a kind of permanent repose, even in motion. But hitting the marks and holding the pose isn't enough. There's movement, of course, in every Anderson comedy, and in the best ones, the movement and the sight gags are funnier because of the stillness surrounding that movement. Whatever you want to call Anderson's universe — I'll go with Deadpandia — it's not easy to activate as a performer. When the right actor wriggles free of the constraints and finds a rhythm, a heartbeat and a human spark, it's magic. Benicio Del Toro is the star of 'The Phoenician Scheme,' Anderson's 12th and latest. But the ringer is Michael Cera, as Norwegian tutor Bjørn Lund, employed as an all-purpose factotum by the shady, swaggering, death-defying entrepreneur played by Del Toro. In one go, Cera joins the top tier of Anderson alums, which includes Ralph Fiennes ('The Grand Budapest Hotel,' 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar') and, from Anderson's earlier, looser years, Gene Hackman and Anjelica Huston ('The Royal Tenenbaums') and, of course, Bill Murray in everything (he has a brief cameo here, as God). Cera is terrifically subtle in everything he does, from pricelessly cheap dialect humor to sudden bursts of jealousy. He's delightful, even if 'The Phoenician Scheme' is only occasionally that. The movie's largely about other characters. A frequent target of assassins, forever surviving plane crashes in between business deals, Anatole 'Zsa-zsa' Korda (Del Toro) embarks on the riskiest development project of his life, indicated by Anderson's title. It consists of a dam, tunnels, a canal and a general colonialist ravaging of a desert region (fictional, but with plenty of real-world Middle Eastern inspirations). Funding this beast means negotiating with several investors, among them a French nightclub owner (Mathieu Amalric), a pair of American industrialists (Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston) and, above all, Korda's estranged daughter, Liesl, a cynical novitiate and Korda's intended heiress, played by Mia Threapleton. 'The Phoenician Scheme' is a tale of what money can buy, and what money can't. Stringing episodes together, screenwriter Anderson (working from a story co-created by Roman Coppola) treats Korda as a cocky survivor of fabulous riches. Through his adventures in fundraising, and realization that he won't last forever, Korda learns from Liesl a little about what makes a legacy important. Meantime, he negotiates family matters with his 10 young sons and his scowling brother, Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), who may be Liesl's father, and whose massive woodcut of a beard comes straight from Orson Welles' billionaire in 'Mr. Arkadin.' The overall vibe of fishy exoticism owes something to 'Mr. Arkadin' as well. Anderson works here with a cinematographer new to him, the excellent Bruno Delbonnel, shooting on 35mm film. Anderson regulars Adam Stockhausen (production design, first-rate) and Milena Canonero (costume design, brilliant and vibrant as always) evoke a dreamlike 1950s setting in every soundstage-bound detail. And the story? Well, it has a little problem with over-elaboration. 'The Phoenician Scheme' follows a relatively straightforward narrative line, ticking off chapters as Korda addresses each of his prized (and literal) shoeboxes of research and minutiae regarding the massively disruptive, slave labor-dependent construction project. It's easier to parse what's going on here compared to the hyperlinking and layering of 'The French Dispatch' and 'Asteroid City.' But the protagonist is a bit of a bore. And somehow, right now, on planet Earth in 2025, a movie about a craven oligarch on a spree hits a mixed chord, let's say. It is, however, striking to see what happens in the epilogue of this up-and-down Anderson film, when Del Toro — who looks splendid but struggles to locate a lightness of touch the material could use — finally gets a few moments of on-screen relaxation in the epilogue. That's by design: He is not the same person at the end of his story. But I wonder if Anderson erred in maintaining such a tight hold on Del Toro and Threapleton en route to the story destination. A beautiful mixed bag, let's say, all told. But I'll see 'The Phoenician Scheme' a second time sometime for Cera, who will surely return to the Anderson fold. 'The Phoenician Scheme' — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: PG-13 (for violent content, bloody images, some sexual material, nude images, and smoking throughout) Running time: 1:45 How to watch: Premieres in theaters June 6
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Washington Post
In ‘The Phoenician Scheme,' it's the transactional vs. the transcendent
When the history of the decline of American moviegoing is written, one savior will deserve mention: Wes Anderson. During a period of churning audiences and a lemminglike rush toward streaming, the eight-time Oscar nominee has made movies that have reliably coaxed spectators back into brick-and-mortar theaters. Like Christopher Nolan and James Cameron, Anderson has become a reliable brand.
Geek Vibes Nation
a day ago
- Geek Vibes Nation
'The Phoenician Scheme' Review - Wes Anderson Reckons With Legacy In Zany, Charming Globe Trot
Now is a pretty good time to talk about legacy. Consider today's political landscape, especially in the United States. There seems to be a competition amongst policymakers and heads of state to see who can stay in power the longest, even as their physical, intellectual, and empathetic faculties gradually diminish. Concurrently, the world's richest, and therefore most powerful, people are certainly aware of the perils of the future, but seem focused on shoring up their present-day bona fides, leveraging their fortunes for the betterment of themselves at the expense of society. With such a relentless tunnel vision on the present, the richest and most ruthless among us are less interested in the world they leave behind, even though legacy was one of their common languages and most pressing pursuits. (It isn't a coincidence that most New York landmarks are named after America's wealthiest families: Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Helmsley, Astor, and yes, even Trump.) So, in this day and age, what value does legacy hold? I'm not sure I would've initially thought of Wes Anderson as the filmmaker to examine the crumbling institution of legacy, but he does so with The Phoenician Scheme . The film follows Anatole Korda (Benicio del Toro), a Rockefeller-esque industrialist who has a tendency to survive assassination attempts. After a particularly brutal one involving his private jet, he sends for his estranged daughter, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton), and installs her as the head of his sweeping organization, 'on a trial basis.' As part of this trial, he drags her along on the titular 'scheme': to seek the funds to complete a sweeping infrastructural project in the country of Phoenicia. They and Korda's insect tutor-turned-administrative assistant, Bjørn (Michael Cera), travel through Korda's network of financial acquaintances to convince them to support him by filling the project's funding gap so he can achieve his life's work. (L to R) Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda, Michael Cera as Bjorn and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson's THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved. If you're familiar with Wes Anderson's work, then the shape of The Phoenician Scheme should come as no surprise. The production design is still striking, with a muted, pastel color palette that reinforces the fantastical artifice of Korda's world. Anderson's camerawork is still uniquely austere, yielding striking individual frames that brim with whimsy and intrigue. His script is packed to the gills with dry sarcasm and witty wordplay as Korda tries to weasel his way in and out of shoddy business deals that sit pretty high on the absurdist scale. (Korda also has to convince Sister Liesl and the audience that he didn't have her mother killed, which, well, let's say his methods of persuasion need work.) Anderson also assembles a typically crackerjack ensemble for his story. Benicio del Toro appears to be having a blast as the relentless capitalist Korda. He makes a meal of the bone-dry dialogue and gives us hints through his delivery that there are more dimensions of the character to explore. Mia Threapleton also slots nicely into Anderson's unique rhythms, knowing how and when to modulate her expressions and diction to retain Sister Liesl's cynicism while tracking her shifting relationships with Korda and Bjørn. Michael Cera feels like an actor who should already be part of Anderson's repertoire, and his performance here reinforces that assumption. He is delightful as the in-over-his-head entomologist Bjørn, with a charming accent and a consistent but surprisingly complex look of bewilderment. The rest of the Phoenician players are also great, with Riz Ahmed, Jeffrey Wright, and Benedict Cumberbatch standing out the most. By all metrics, Anderson is firing on all cylinders, deploying the heights of his vision to tell this story. But to what end? (L to R) Michael Cera as Bjorn, Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson's THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved. Two years ago, Anderson examined humanity's stagnation and crippling ennui under the guise of an alien invasion in Asteroid City . The Phoenician Scheme , for all its globe-trotting, financial backdealing, and pickup basketball games, aims for something less existential and more tangible. Korda claims throughout the film that his primary concern, and the film's ultimate goal, is to fill the funding gap for his Phoenicia infrastructure project. However, it becomes clear early on that his excursions are part of his desire to reconnect with his daughter. As his eldest child, Sister Liesl is central to his legacy, as she would be the only person who could carry the mantle for him if one of his many assassination attempts succeeds. (His other heirs are children, whose ages render them useless.) Of course, ensuring his legacy's fidelity requires him to show her the expanse of his power and influence. What better way to do that than whisk her around the world to participate in increasingly zany negotiations? If there is one, it would still pale in comparison to what Anderson achieves here. Even amidst the chaos, he keeps the fragile parental bond between Korda and Sister Liesl at the same narrative level. Whether Korda will close the financial gap matters as much as whether Sister Liesl will find something salvageable in the toxic myth of a man who happens to be her father. While not an especially deep well of dramatic tension, it does ground the film as the scheme becomes delightfully more convoluted and loses a bit of force (specifically with the Cousin Hilda chapter). (L to R) Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda, Bryan Cranston as Reagan, Tom Hanks as Leland, and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson's THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved. Through Korda and SIster Liesl's relationship, Anderson offers his take on the value of legacy, specifically for the wealthiest among us. Korda's assessment of his legacy is grounded in what he has created and amassed, and whether he has the commitment and brass tacks to retain it, even after he's gone. His time with Liesl, however, leads to subtle shifts in that way of thinking that profoundly affect where the characters land. While he is still concerned with what he leaves behind, the 'what' is centered around his family, leading him to ultimately shift his approach to his scheme. Another part of that realization comes from Anderson's celestial court case against Korda, where God (played by Bill Murray) and his angels seek answers about his trespasses on Earth. It operates similarly to Asteroid City's play-within-a-play framing device, although this stream fits more neatly into the film's operating goal. There's a charming irony surrounding The Phoenician Scheme . Most people will never know Korda's wealth, power, and influence. They won't know what it's like to experience multiple assassination attempts, or to play basketball with Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston in a bet to fund a nation's infrastructure project. However, Korda's journey frames one of Anderson's most accessible and culturally relevant films. While none of us will ever engage in a fight with Benedict Cumberbatch using obscenely expensive pottery as weapons, we can all understand the desire to leave the world better than we entered it. We also understand how little that matters if we don't have loved ones we can trust to support us through that work. It would be lovely if today's robber barons received that message instead of engaging in a race to the cultural bottom, but I appreciate Wes Anderson for trying to advance the conversation through his distinct, and perhaps impactful, voice. The Phoenician Scheme is currently playing in limited release courtesy of Focus Features. The film will expand wide on June 6, 2025.
