Wes Anderson's latest is a bizarre, light-hearted black comedy

The Advertiser

4 days ago

The Phoenecian Scheme (M, 101 minutes)
4 stars
If the whacky charm and playfulness of a Wes Anderson film is a challenge to folk who prefer their movies deep and thoughtful, or funny and relatable, the latest from this filmmaker is no less far-fetched than his last. The fantastical vision is however not such a bad fit for these crazy times, so why resist?
The screenplay based on an intriguing premise was written by Anderson and his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola.
The central figure is larger-than-life, a not unfamiliar type these days. A captain of industry, a business baron others wish to take down but he has survived multiple assassination attempts and seems somehow invincible. In the movie's first moments Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) manages to survive another of these. It's a torrid beginning for an Anderson film but still funny enough to get this madcap caper rolling.
As a marked man, Korda is feeling understandably uneasy and wants to secure his legacy with a major construction project in a place called Phoenicia, an intriguing ancient name for a location in the eastern Mediterranean. It's his plan to stitch a deal with partners based in Europe and the Middle East to close a 'gap' in funding for manufacturing engineering parts that are essential for the project to proceed.
The other thing he needs to do is choose an heir. Despite having nine sons to choose from he calls in his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), fresh from the convent and on the point of taking her vows. She only agreed to visit Korda because she wanted to confront the man who she believed had murdered her mother. But no, it wasn't Korda, it was his wicked half-brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch). OK, she agrees to being his heir on a trial basis and on condition that it was actually Nubar who did it. He will be their last stop on the business trip.
Throughout this interesting meeting that sets up the father-daughter dynamic that drives the narrative, there's a young man seated near the door, who introduces himself as Bjorn (Michael Sera is a hoot), a professor of entomology. But his Norwegian accent doesn't sound quite right. Could he be a spy? He could be, but Korda takes him on as his executive assistant.
The nun, the scientist and amoral businessman fly out together. Their first stop is to Phoenicia itself where they connect with Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed in good form) but nowhere is safe for Korda. When they stop by on Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric) there's a terrorist attack during which Korda takes a bullet for his friend, and lives. He may be on track to becoming a better person, but he is still out of luck when he drops in on Cousin Hilde. Scarlett Johansson, still gorgeous but barely recognisable, still makes an impression in her star cameo.
Anderson has amassed his usual vast cast of name actors with walk-on-walk-off roles. Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman appear to be absent this time, though you can never be quite sure, but Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray are back. Big Bill plays God. Cameos may be a waste of their acting chops, but the bit parts don't seem to be any disincentive.
Mia Threapleton (Kate Winslet's daughter) is new to the Anderson oeuvre and works a treat as Liesl. While she looks cherubic she makes a forthright, earthy young novitiate, delivering some of the best lines in pitch perfect tone. She has no trouble at all standing up to a guy who can ask, without a trace of irony, why someone did something when he hadn't told them to. Her character plays a key role, of course, in rehabilitating the father figure.
The look of the film is a joy, so detailed you barely realise that the camera hardly ever moves, and when it does it's almost imperceptible. Anderson and his team have done meticulous work as always, crafting their latest gorgeous miniature with a postmodern mise-en-scene for the 1950s setting that combines vestiges of the art of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, Italian High Renaissance and French Impressionism. There are even some cheeky credits to the artists in the closing credits.
After the rather static results of Asteroid City, Anderson is in better form with this bizarre, light-hearted black comedy.
The Phoenecian Scheme (M, 101 minutes)
4 stars
If the whacky charm and playfulness of a Wes Anderson film is a challenge to folk who prefer their movies deep and thoughtful, or funny and relatable, the latest from this filmmaker is no less far-fetched than his last. The fantastical vision is however not such a bad fit for these crazy times, so why resist?
The screenplay based on an intriguing premise was written by Anderson and his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola.
The central figure is larger-than-life, a not unfamiliar type these days. A captain of industry, a business baron others wish to take down but he has survived multiple assassination attempts and seems somehow invincible. In the movie's first moments Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) manages to survive another of these. It's a torrid beginning for an Anderson film but still funny enough to get this madcap caper rolling.
As a marked man, Korda is feeling understandably uneasy and wants to secure his legacy with a major construction project in a place called Phoenicia, an intriguing ancient name for a location in the eastern Mediterranean. It's his plan to stitch a deal with partners based in Europe and the Middle East to close a 'gap' in funding for manufacturing engineering parts that are essential for the project to proceed.
The other thing he needs to do is choose an heir. Despite having nine sons to choose from he calls in his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), fresh from the convent and on the point of taking her vows. She only agreed to visit Korda because she wanted to confront the man who she believed had murdered her mother. But no, it wasn't Korda, it was his wicked half-brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch). OK, she agrees to being his heir on a trial basis and on condition that it was actually Nubar who did it. He will be their last stop on the business trip.
Throughout this interesting meeting that sets up the father-daughter dynamic that drives the narrative, there's a young man seated near the door, who introduces himself as Bjorn (Michael Sera is a hoot), a professor of entomology. But his Norwegian accent doesn't sound quite right. Could he be a spy? He could be, but Korda takes him on as his executive assistant.
The nun, the scientist and amoral businessman fly out together. Their first stop is to Phoenicia itself where they connect with Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed in good form) but nowhere is safe for Korda. When they stop by on Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric) there's a terrorist attack during which Korda takes a bullet for his friend, and lives. He may be on track to becoming a better person, but he is still out of luck when he drops in on Cousin Hilde. Scarlett Johansson, still gorgeous but barely recognisable, still makes an impression in her star cameo.
Anderson has amassed his usual vast cast of name actors with walk-on-walk-off roles. Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman appear to be absent this time, though you can never be quite sure, but Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray are back. Big Bill plays God. Cameos may be a waste of their acting chops, but the bit parts don't seem to be any disincentive.
Mia Threapleton (Kate Winslet's daughter) is new to the Anderson oeuvre and works a treat as Liesl. While she looks cherubic she makes a forthright, earthy young novitiate, delivering some of the best lines in pitch perfect tone. She has no trouble at all standing up to a guy who can ask, without a trace of irony, why someone did something when he hadn't told them to. Her character plays a key role, of course, in rehabilitating the father figure.
The look of the film is a joy, so detailed you barely realise that the camera hardly ever moves, and when it does it's almost imperceptible. Anderson and his team have done meticulous work as always, crafting their latest gorgeous miniature with a postmodern mise-en-scene for the 1950s setting that combines vestiges of the art of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, Italian High Renaissance and French Impressionism. There are even some cheeky credits to the artists in the closing credits.
After the rather static results of Asteroid City, Anderson is in better form with this bizarre, light-hearted black comedy.
The Phoenecian Scheme (M, 101 minutes)
4 stars
If the whacky charm and playfulness of a Wes Anderson film is a challenge to folk who prefer their movies deep and thoughtful, or funny and relatable, the latest from this filmmaker is no less far-fetched than his last. The fantastical vision is however not such a bad fit for these crazy times, so why resist?
The screenplay based on an intriguing premise was written by Anderson and his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola.
The central figure is larger-than-life, a not unfamiliar type these days. A captain of industry, a business baron others wish to take down but he has survived multiple assassination attempts and seems somehow invincible. In the movie's first moments Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) manages to survive another of these. It's a torrid beginning for an Anderson film but still funny enough to get this madcap caper rolling.
As a marked man, Korda is feeling understandably uneasy and wants to secure his legacy with a major construction project in a place called Phoenicia, an intriguing ancient name for a location in the eastern Mediterranean. It's his plan to stitch a deal with partners based in Europe and the Middle East to close a 'gap' in funding for manufacturing engineering parts that are essential for the project to proceed.
The other thing he needs to do is choose an heir. Despite having nine sons to choose from he calls in his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), fresh from the convent and on the point of taking her vows. She only agreed to visit Korda because she wanted to confront the man who she believed had murdered her mother. But no, it wasn't Korda, it was his wicked half-brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch). OK, she agrees to being his heir on a trial basis and on condition that it was actually Nubar who did it. He will be their last stop on the business trip.
Throughout this interesting meeting that sets up the father-daughter dynamic that drives the narrative, there's a young man seated near the door, who introduces himself as Bjorn (Michael Sera is a hoot), a professor of entomology. But his Norwegian accent doesn't sound quite right. Could he be a spy? He could be, but Korda takes him on as his executive assistant.
The nun, the scientist and amoral businessman fly out together. Their first stop is to Phoenicia itself where they connect with Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed in good form) but nowhere is safe for Korda. When they stop by on Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric) there's a terrorist attack during which Korda takes a bullet for his friend, and lives. He may be on track to becoming a better person, but he is still out of luck when he drops in on Cousin Hilde. Scarlett Johansson, still gorgeous but barely recognisable, still makes an impression in her star cameo.
Anderson has amassed his usual vast cast of name actors with walk-on-walk-off roles. Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman appear to be absent this time, though you can never be quite sure, but Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray are back. Big Bill plays God. Cameos may be a waste of their acting chops, but the bit parts don't seem to be any disincentive.
Mia Threapleton (Kate Winslet's daughter) is new to the Anderson oeuvre and works a treat as Liesl. While she looks cherubic she makes a forthright, earthy young novitiate, delivering some of the best lines in pitch perfect tone. She has no trouble at all standing up to a guy who can ask, without a trace of irony, why someone did something when he hadn't told them to. Her character plays a key role, of course, in rehabilitating the father figure.
The look of the film is a joy, so detailed you barely realise that the camera hardly ever moves, and when it does it's almost imperceptible. Anderson and his team have done meticulous work as always, crafting their latest gorgeous miniature with a postmodern mise-en-scene for the 1950s setting that combines vestiges of the art of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, Italian High Renaissance and French Impressionism. There are even some cheeky credits to the artists in the closing credits.
After the rather static results of Asteroid City, Anderson is in better form with this bizarre, light-hearted black comedy.
The Phoenecian Scheme (M, 101 minutes)
4 stars
If the whacky charm and playfulness of a Wes Anderson film is a challenge to folk who prefer their movies deep and thoughtful, or funny and relatable, the latest from this filmmaker is no less far-fetched than his last. The fantastical vision is however not such a bad fit for these crazy times, so why resist?
The screenplay based on an intriguing premise was written by Anderson and his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola.
The central figure is larger-than-life, a not unfamiliar type these days. A captain of industry, a business baron others wish to take down but he has survived multiple assassination attempts and seems somehow invincible. In the movie's first moments Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) manages to survive another of these. It's a torrid beginning for an Anderson film but still funny enough to get this madcap caper rolling.
As a marked man, Korda is feeling understandably uneasy and wants to secure his legacy with a major construction project in a place called Phoenicia, an intriguing ancient name for a location in the eastern Mediterranean. It's his plan to stitch a deal with partners based in Europe and the Middle East to close a 'gap' in funding for manufacturing engineering parts that are essential for the project to proceed.
The other thing he needs to do is choose an heir. Despite having nine sons to choose from he calls in his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), fresh from the convent and on the point of taking her vows. She only agreed to visit Korda because she wanted to confront the man who she believed had murdered her mother. But no, it wasn't Korda, it was his wicked half-brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch). OK, she agrees to being his heir on a trial basis and on condition that it was actually Nubar who did it. He will be their last stop on the business trip.
Throughout this interesting meeting that sets up the father-daughter dynamic that drives the narrative, there's a young man seated near the door, who introduces himself as Bjorn (Michael Sera is a hoot), a professor of entomology. But his Norwegian accent doesn't sound quite right. Could he be a spy? He could be, but Korda takes him on as his executive assistant.
The nun, the scientist and amoral businessman fly out together. Their first stop is to Phoenicia itself where they connect with Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed in good form) but nowhere is safe for Korda. When they stop by on Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric) there's a terrorist attack during which Korda takes a bullet for his friend, and lives. He may be on track to becoming a better person, but he is still out of luck when he drops in on Cousin Hilde. Scarlett Johansson, still gorgeous but barely recognisable, still makes an impression in her star cameo.
Anderson has amassed his usual vast cast of name actors with walk-on-walk-off roles. Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman appear to be absent this time, though you can never be quite sure, but Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray are back. Big Bill plays God. Cameos may be a waste of their acting chops, but the bit parts don't seem to be any disincentive.
Mia Threapleton (Kate Winslet's daughter) is new to the Anderson oeuvre and works a treat as Liesl. While she looks cherubic she makes a forthright, earthy young novitiate, delivering some of the best lines in pitch perfect tone. She has no trouble at all standing up to a guy who can ask, without a trace of irony, why someone did something when he hadn't told them to. Her character plays a key role, of course, in rehabilitating the father figure.
The look of the film is a joy, so detailed you barely realise that the camera hardly ever moves, and when it does it's almost imperceptible. Anderson and his team have done meticulous work as always, crafting their latest gorgeous miniature with a postmodern mise-en-scene for the 1950s setting that combines vestiges of the art of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, Italian High Renaissance and French Impressionism. There are even some cheeky credits to the artists in the closing credits.
After the rather static results of Asteroid City, Anderson is in better form with this bizarre, light-hearted black comedy.