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Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Johansson's directorial earns praise
Scarlett Johansson won praise from veteran filmmaker Wes Anderson as she nervously prepared to unveil her debut feature as a director at the Cannes film festival on Tuesday, reported AFP. Actors behind the camera are something of a trend in Cannes this year, with Twilight star Kristen Stewart and British actor Harris Dickinson both unveiling their first features. Johansson's film Eleanor the Great recounts the story of a grief-stricken elderly woman who moves to New York after the death of her best friend and will be screened on Tuesday evening. One of Hollywood's most bankable stars missed the red carpet premiere of The Phoenician Scheme on Sunday evening, in which she has a cameo, but she won enthusiastic backing from director Anderson. "I saw the movie, which I loved," Anderson said of Johansson's debut. He added that he had not offered any tips to the actor who has appeared in three of his films, including Isle of Dogs and Asteroid City. "I don't think Scarlett even said anything to me (about her film)," the 56-year-old said. "Scarlett's been doing movies possibly longer than I have. She's about 20 years younger, but I think she was in a movie when she was around nine." Nonetheless, the Oscar-nominated star of Lost in Translation, 40, admitted to some nerves while bringing a script to life that made her cry when she first read it. She spoke to Deadline magazine in the run-up to Cannes about how the spotlight on the director's seat is brighter than the one beamed on the actors when it comes to finally unveiling a film. "It's different. When you're acting in something, it's out of your hands," she said. In competition Cannes tends to draw sympathetic audiences, with film lovers and industry insiders enthusiastically giving films standing ovations that can last for minutes. But the competition is fierce. And Johansson's film is in the running for prizes in the 'Certain Regard' secondary section for up-and-coming directors that also includes Stewart's and Dickinson's films this year. Dickinson, the 28-year-old star of Babygirl, asked the press to be "gentle" as he unveiled Urchin, a touching film about a rough sleeper in London. "It's my first film so if you don't like it, break it to me nicely," he said before the premiere. Initial reviews have been positive. Film bible Variety said that "you can learn a lot about an actor when they make their directorial debut. For better or worse, it reveals how they see themselves as an artist." In Dickinson's case, his social-realist debut that has echoes of veteran British director Mike Leigh's work was "starkly effective", Variety said. Hollywood has a long record of A-list male actors turning to directing from Oscar-winning Clint Eastwood to Mel Gibson and George Clooney. Greta Gerwig, who broke through as an actor before hitting the directorial big time with 2023 hit Barbie, is one of relatively few women actors to make the transition, however. Australian screen great Nicole Kidman lamented on Sunday how the number of women directing major box office successes is still "incredibly low". Speaking to Variety, Stewart was honest about her struggles to find financing for her film The Chronology of Water, which is a searing examination of child sex abuse. She said it was "near impossible" to raise money for a film that was an original idea and not based on a proven genre or an existing franchise. Denzel Washington wins award Meanwhile, as per Reuters, US actor Denzel Washington received a surprise honorary Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday evening in recognition of his outstanding career, according to organisers. Washington, 70, was in southern France for the premiere of US director Spike Lee's latest film Highest 2 Lowest, an adaptation of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, which also celebrated its premiere on Monday. Washington, who was joined by co-stars A$AP Rocky and Jeffrey Wright on the red carpet, stars as David King in the crime thriller that marks the fifth time he and Lee have worked together. The two-time Oscar winner's film roles have ranged from black activist Malcolm X, to a drunk but heroic pilot in Flight. His turn as a rogue detective in Training Day earned him his second Oscar in 2002 following his first win in 1990 for Glory. He also directed and starred in the 2007 film The Great Debaters about a professor who coached a debate team from a black US college to national glory, and produced and starred in the drama Antwone Fisher. Robert De Niro received a Palme d'Or honorary award for lifetime achievement, announced in advance, at the festival's opening ceremony last week, where he used his acceptance speech to call for protests against US President Donald Trump. Highest 2 Lowest is set to hit theatres in the United States on August 22.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Phoenician Scheme' Review: A Brilliant Benicio del Toro Leads Wes Anderson's Poignant Narrative Jigsaw Puzzle
It's been a challenging few years to be a fan of Wes Anderson (not that it's ever really been easy). Since the commercial and critical success of The Grand Budapest Hotel, the filmmaker has released works that have doubled down on the quirkiness of his visual style and grown more intellectually meta-textual. One sparked minor controversy (Isle of Dogs) and another inspired more confusion than admiration (The French Dispatch). His most recent feature-length project instigated some eye-rolls (Asteroid City) and a 39-minute short released later that year was mostly ignored (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, an underrated gem). In general, Anderson's movies have been criticized for being so insular and indulgent of the auteur's trademark aesthetics that they distance everyone except the stans and the stars. More from The Hollywood Reporter Nicole Kidman Gives Update on 'Practical Magic' Sequel With Sandra Bullock: "It's Fun and Witchy" Alexander Skarsgard Kisses Pedro Pascal on Cheek During Ravenous Standing Ovation for 'Pillion' 'The Phoenician Scheme' Break-Out Mia Threapleton on Joining the Wes Anderson Acting Troupe The Phoenician Scheme, Anderson's latest film, won't have true haters reconsidering their options, but it will entice those who've been feeling alienated to rejoin rank. The espionage comedy flaunts an excellent Benecio del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, a serpentine 1950s industrialist, who, after surviving another assassination attempt on his life, begins to consider his legacy. In a well-meaning but poorly executed attempt at redemption, Zsa-zsa names his estranged daughter Liesl (an equally fine Mia Threapleton) as heir to his empire. The only problem is Liesl, on the verge of taking her oath to become a nun, doesn't want the job. She's still mad at her father for her mother's death. Their relationship is strained and, quite frankly, she wants nothing to do with a man so unabashedly sinful. But the two manage to strike a deal with Liesl agreeing to a trial period, in which Zsa-zsa will review the complex processes he uses to manipulate the market, scam his allies and cheat his competitors, and Liesl can decide if she wants to be heir. Premiering at Cannes in competition before Focus releases it widely on June 6, The Phoenician Scheme marks a return for Anderson to the emotionally grounded and intimate narratives that made his more accessible works (like Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom) so popular. Part of the film is inspired by Anderson's late father-in-law Fouad Malouf (to whom the project is dedicated), and in recent interviews the director has suggested that having his own daughter likely influenced thematic elements of the film. Indeed, there's a sense that Anderson is considering a deeper set of questions here. The Phoenician Scheme tethers the filmmaker's existential interests (the unfettered power of the billionaire class, unchecked greed and environmentalism) to the kind of poignant humanistic narrative that's been missing from his latest offerings. The relationship between Zsa-zsa and Liesl unspools with humor, insightful revelations and a bit of surprise. Del toro and Threapleton make a winning pair as a father and daughter learning to relate to one another. Anderson built del Toro's role around the actor, who repays him with a beauty of a performance, embodying the detached charisma of a morally dubious tycoon with cool ease. From the moment we meet Zsa-zsa, the depth of his ruthlessness is apparent, but he becomes disarmed in the face of his equally forceful daughter. Del Toro and Threapleton play their characters in a way that allows these two people, who initially seem diametrically opposed, to start to resemble one another. Most of this happens on a micro level, with facial expressions and an almost mirroring physicality. As with all Anderson films, The Phoenician Scheme boasts an enchanting world in which viewers can get lost. The director shows off his meticulous attention to detail and symmetrical composition, as well as a muted and moody color grading that serves as a steady reminder of the film's darker themes. Collaborating again with Roman Coppola (Asteroid City) on the story, Anderson constructs one of his most complicated narratives yet. After Liesl agrees to the trial run, Zsa-zsa retrieves six show boxes that contain blueprints for three complex infrastructure projects across the fictional Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia. Each part of the plan requires Zsa-zsa and now Liesl to persuade a number of industrial barons and powerful bankers to help finance the project. Just before they embark on their journey, though, Zsa-zsa realizes that his enemies have fixed the price of a key tool, which has increased the cost of construction around the region. Now, he must manipulate all these people to give more money so they can shrink the deficit. It's a challenging jigsaw and there's a bit of math involved, but fully grasping it isn't a requirement for enjoying The Phoenician Scheme. What's important to keep in mind are the key players, who include Anderson regulars and a few newcomers. Joining Zsa-zsa and Liesl on their journey is Bjorn (Michael Cera, hilarious), an entomologist from Oslo whom Zsa-zsa hires to teach him about insects. He's a strange figure, who slowly falls for and tries to woo Liesl. There's also Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), with whom Zsa-zsa must play basketball in order to get their blessing for constructing a railway (and also for more money). Other people the pair must deal with include the American shipping magnate Marty (Jeffrey Wright, ripe to lead an Anderson film one day); Zsa-zsa's second cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson); and Zsa-zsa's shadowy and somehow even more morally dubious brother, Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch). As Zsa-zsa and Liesl race across the region in their private jet, a radical militia led by a man named Sergio (Richard Ayode) trails them. They aren't Zsa-zsa's only problem: Everywhere he goes, the tycoon must watch out for assassination attempts. As with all Anderson films, the actors commit to the weird and zany rules of the director's world. People talk fast, dispensing information with efficiency, and there are some wonderful (and explosive) set pieces. Working again with Adam Stockhausen in production design and Milena Canonero in costuming, Anderson constructs the world of Zsa-zsa and all his shady dealings as one of gluttonous consumption. It's hard not to think about the current cadre of tech moguls — Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg among many others — when you watch the unscrupulous scheming. In one of my favorite gags, Zsa-zsa succinctly sums up what feels like a motto for the one percent: 'I am not a citizen at all. I don't need my human rights.' The Phoenician Scheme moves so briskly that its tenderness sneaks up on you. One minute Zsa-zsa and Liesl are fighting about what really happened to her mother (an ongoing mystery), and the next the two seem like they might be finding common ground. It's within this narrative thread that The Phoenician Scheme reveals its optimistic core. Before Zsa-zsa survived his sixth assassination attempt, he briefly died and entered a kind of liminal, heaven-as-fever-dream space. (These interludes are in black-and-white and pop up frequently throughout the film). This confrontation with mortality and God doesn't make the atheist billionaire more religious, but it does push him to re-evaluate what's important to him and reach out to his daughter. It's that specific brush with death that propels the first real, and most honest, deal of his life. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Phoenician Scheme' Review: Benicio Del Toro Hilariously Dominates Wes Anderson's Latest All-Star Wes Anderson Movie
Like Jacques Tati, Woody Allen and Luis Buñuel, there can be no mistaking a movie directed and written by Wes Anderson. An auteur in the truest sense of the word, he is as much a painter with words and visuals that put us unquestionably into part of a brain that sees the world the way he wants to see it. There's his Oscar-winning masterpiece The Grand Budapest Hotel; animated gems Isle of Dogs and my favorite Wes movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox; and a string of beloved film comedies including The Royal Tannenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom and so many more including his 2024 Oscar-winning short The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. It is good to report that the filmmaker is back in style with his latest, The Phoenician Scheme, after stumbling a bit through the overly narrated and artificial (even for Anderson) Asteroid City, the most recent of his films to debut in Cannes, just as his latest world builder, The Phoenician Scheme, did Sunday night in Competition. This one is particularly refreshing in that, instead of focusing on a number of characters, here it is Benicio Del Toro's Zsa-Zsa Korda, a shady, uber-wealthy industrialist who dominates the proceedings much the way we saw in other Anderson riffs like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Sure, there are the usual starry cameos running through the story, but it is all in the service of Zsa-zsa, a man who dominated the business world and global economy in Europe in the early 1950s in much the same way we see Elon Musk now, an equally shady rich guy whose track record is spotty at best. In fact, there also are sly comparisons we could make even to Donald Trump with this man, whose enemies are doing everything to bring down his empire where he is accused of swindling banks, skipping tariffs, filing frivolous lawsuits — you name it, he's done it. But is it all bad? More from Deadline 'The Phoenician Scheme' Cannes Red Carpet Photos: Wes Anderson, Mia Threapleton, Benicio del Toro, Bill Murray, Michael Cera, & More Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme' Scores 7½-Minute Ovation After Cannes Premiere, Leaving One Star In Tears Palestinian Producer Hanna Atallah & Lebanese Filmmaker Darine Hotait Launch Development & Production Company Route 243 - Cannes Market RELATED: Zsa-zsa, who has survived six airplane crashes including the latest one that opens the film on a note of excitement, is even starting to see God, or at least a group of religious leaders who act as therapists in a way in fantasy sequences where he thinks he has died. Somehow he never does, even with a price on his head by any number of would-be assassins. His latest plan, with the lofty name of the Korda Land and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme, has him enlisting his 20-year-old daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who is in training to become a nun but whom he thinks could be better suited to ultimately take over his company and complicated financial dealings. Why not his nine — count 'em — nine sons (another Musk comparison)? He wants to give Liesl a shot. The idea is to create an infrastructure scheme for an unused area of Earth that can be mined for a potentially rich region that doesn't exist yet. In return, his business takes in 5% of the newfound riches in perpetuity. To do this he also has to enlist a number of wealthy donors from the worlds of shipping, mining, railroad, banking, real estate and the black market. Their identities all are contained in a set of shoeboxes, each with a particular specialty. RELATED: First up is a visit to Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), who has proven savvy with his kingdom's natural wealth, then to an underground tunnel for a meeting with railroad barons Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston). Another box introduces us to Marseilles Bob (Mathieu Amalric), a gangster and nightclub owner who wants terrorists to stop shooting up his place. There alsois the shipping magnate (Jeffrey Wright) who could be crucial; a second cousin named Hilda (Scarlett Johansson, in briefly) who could be new wife material; and finally leading up to his brother, the conniving Uncle Nubar (a very amusing Benedict Cumberbatch), who is big trouble in the family. With Liesl just as interested in trying to solve her mother's murder (could it be Nubar?) as in closing the gap of Zsa-zsa's vast finances, they are on dueling paths, joined by the other major character to complete this triangle, that of Norwegian tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera), who also studies insects. Of course he does! As Anderson explains the mindset of Zsa-zsa, 'he is a certain type of businessman who can always pivot. He has no obligation to the truth.' The director cites all sorts of real-life figures from the past as inspirations for this man, people only a Jeopardy! contestant might be able to reel off instantly, but you can certainly see the Trump/Musk influence creeping in, even though this was written long before their partnership got into the picture. At least that is what I sniff here, proving Anderson's wholly fictional creation has some odd relation to our current reality. Can you imagine Zsa-zsa living in these times? RELATED: Full List Of Cannes Palme d'Or Winners Through The Years: Photo Gallery As with all Anderson films, the production values are spectacular. This one was shot almost exclusively on soundstages at Studio Babelsberg in Germany. Bruno Delbonnel's lush cinematography (first time working on a feature with Anderson, who usually goes back to the same well of artisans) and Adam Stockhausen's production design are exquisite as are Milena Canonero's costumes and Alexandre Desplat's score. The film belongs lock, stock and barrel to Del Toro, playing this Onassis-style billionaire who proves again to be so adept to the rhythms of Anderson's dialogue and delivers flawlessly here. So do newcomer Threapleton as Liesl and Cera, a first-timer in Anderson's stock company who undoubtedly will be asked back. Ahmed and Cumberbatch also are welcome additions, as is regular Richard Ayoade as a terrorist leader. Look for Willem Dafoe and F. Murray Abraham as pop-ups along the way, with Hanks, Cranston, Johansson and others in for a fun day's work. Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, John Peet and Steven Rales are producers. Title: The Phoenician SchemeFestival: Cannes (Competition)Distributor: Focus FeaturesRelease Date: June 6, 2025Director-screenwriter: Wes Anderson (story by Roman Coppola and Anderson)Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Richard Ayoade, Willem Dafoe , F. Murray AbrahamRating: PG-13Running time: 1 hr 41 mins Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far
Irish Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Movie Quiz: How many times have Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese worked together?
Which doesn't belong? Tommy... About a... Gone... Beautiful... Who plays Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles tetralogy? Harris Dickinson Paul Mescal Joseph Quinn Barry Keoghan Which doesn't end at the same terminus? Heat Brief Encounter Casablanca Love Actually How many features has Leonardo DiCaprio made with Martin Scorsese? 4 5 6 7 Who is the odd creator out? Mortal Kombat (1995) Let the Right One In (2008) Isle of Dogs (2018) Licorice Pizza (2021) Who is the odd character out? Phileas Fogg James Bond Bonnie Prince Charlie Heathcliff Who directed a film that shares its name with a Queen album? David Fincher Stephen Frears Bob Fosse Richard Attenborough Which is not in the same oeuvre? Begone Me and a few others Hurry up Absolutely not Which of these songs is actually heard on a film soundtrack? 'Love Theme from The Godfather (Speak Softly Love)' '(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story' 'Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)' 'Born Free' Which has someone else as its source? King Creole (1958) Nevada Smith (1966) The Betsy (1978) Airplane! (1980)
The Guardian
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
First trailer for Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme launches
An even more than usually stacked ensemble cast are on show in the first footage from Wes Anderson's new comedy, The Phoenician Scheme. The film, billed as an espionage thriller, is Anderson's 13th as director, and the latest in a series he's co-written with Roman Coppola, including The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, The French Dispatch and Isle of Dogs. Benicio del Toro stars as a derring-do millionaire called Zsa-zsa Korda, who has survived six plane crashes and fathered nine sons and one daughter, a nun called Liesel played by Mia Threapleton. They embark on a quest with tutor Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera) to secure the future of his business ventures, encountering characters such as Uncle Nubar (a generously hairy Benedict Cumberbatch), Excaliber (Rupert Friend) and Richard Ayoade's freedom fighter. Other cast members include regular Anderson rep members such as Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston and Jeffrey Wright. The film is released in late May; many anticipate it may premiere at the Cannes film festival earlier that month.
