The Phoenician Scheme

If I could sum up Wes Anderson's films in one word, it would be "meticulous". Everything in his frames, dialogue, design and production is carefully manicured to a T, and as a result is both very beautiful and hilarious.

As a result of this, all of his films feel like they are on a knife's edge to tip to either an enjoyable masterpiece or a tedious dud. This one feels more like the latter.

It's not to say there aren't some good or funny moments, along with a fantastic cast. But the main relationship between a high ranking corrupt tycoon and his estranged religious daughter never really feels like it hits that mark of deep emotional resonance.

The Grand Budapest Hotel remains his magnum opus. And Henry Sugar is also when Wes is at his finest, which earned him an Oscar for Best Short.

Phoenician felt like a beautiful looking piece added to his collection rather than a film.

...but I just can't hack it anymore. His last three films have all been increasingly tedious. Best I can describe them is as a slog. Yes there is whimsy and great camera work and attention to detail, but the soul (always so present in his early work) is entirely gone. I'm really hoping he has a return to form and brings us something close to the mastery of what came before, or his last great film Grand Budapest, but I fear he is only going further down his ornate, soulless rabbit hole. It has its moments, but if you have felt, as I have, that is past few films have been a bit of a chore, you will be itching for the end credits.

'The Phoenician Scheme (2025)' is, unsurprisingly, unmistakably a Wes Anderson movie. At this point, a "Wes Anderson movie" is almost a genre in and of itself. I'm pretty sure the quirky writer-director could do this in his sleep by now, and it kind of feels like that's what he's been doing recently. He consistently churns out films with no real theme or narrative drive or even reason to exist other than to suitably fit into the twee style he has curated over his career, crafting experiences that are ostensibly style as substance but often feel closer to all style and no substance. What I mean is that where his earlier films felt as though he was using his style to tell a specific and meaningful story, his more recent efforts feel like he is fitting a story into his style. He comes up with quaint nonsense that can be easily configured into the still-pleasing shape all his work takes, putting very little into things like theme or character or emotion. His work is starting to get a tiny bit tedious because it feels like he's simply going through the motions, never really challenging himself or using his specific talents to do anything other than the same thing he's been doing for years. That's not to imply that his newest stuff is bad, as they're just as good as any of his holistically more successful efforts from a formal and technical point of view, but they do lack a certain essentiality that makes them feel ever-so-slightly ho-hum. His latest feature - a business-centred pseudo satirical comedy starring a deadpan Benicio Del Toro, a commanding Mia Threapleton and an absurd Michael Cera, alongside a litany of famous faces both familiar and new - is a perfectly serviceable effort, filled with plenty of visual delight and enjoyable eccentricities. It's undeniable Anderson has complete control of his craft, capable of finely tuning his oxymoronically homogeneous idiosyncrasies so they still enchant even if they no longer surprise. However, it's sort of expected at this point that he can - and will - deliver something like this to this level of quality, which has the unfortunate side-effect of dampening the effectiveness - or, at least, novelty - of his cinematic prowess. The strength of his direction and the specificity of his writing aren't as potent as they once were precisely because they've been at the same level for so long that they're part of the proverbial furniture at this point. Of course, taking excellence for granted isn't something that ought to be encouraged, but it's undeniably difficult to get excited about something we've seen so many times before. Plus, it doesn't help that nothing in this flick hasn't been done better before in one of Anderson's earlier efforts. To be fair, it isn't actually any worse than his previous few, at least formally and technically speaking. However, there is a sense that he's running out of steam - or, at least, resting on his laurels - and comfortably releasing self-eating snakes that are so specifically 'Wes Anderson' that they're almost parodies of actual 'Wes Anderson' films. Still, the movie is enjoyable enough for what it is. It's never boring, moves at a pleasant pace, is well-made in its every aspect, and also provokes a handful of chuckles. The problem is that it only ever connects so deeply, that it never truly moves or inspires. That's primarily because there's no real sense of emotion to it, despite it having a family-focused central arc, and it also isn't really about anything. It's a good effort, for sure, and will probably feel extremely refreshing if you aren't all that familiar with its directors work. It's just a little hard to get excited about something that honestly seems a bit perfunctory. Maybe that's too harsh a term, but it's certainly something that comes to mind as you watch the feature unfold. Again, it is entertaining and it is well-crafted. Its cast, most of whom are now veterans in this field, know exactly what to do with the dialogue they're given, and Wes Anderson's signature style is still fairly fun even after all this time. It isn't hilarious, but there are a handful of funny gags and even more mildly amusing moments, and the narrative is engaging for its entirety. By the same token, though it's only ever mildly amusing, never really getting out of second - or, potentially, third - gear and therefore feeling like one of its director's more minor efforts. It's good enough for what it is, and - again - is very confident and compelling when it comes to its form, but it's just lacking a certain something that's difficult to put my finger on. It's a solid effort, and I definitely don't regret seeing it, but it certainly isn't one of Anderson's best. It's inessential, but enjoyable nevertheless.

The Phoenician Scheme doesn't push Wes Anderson's usual tropes to the extreme like Asteroid City or The French Dispatch but it does end up doing just about everything you'd expect from one of his movies without any of the flair. The movie feels like it's on autopilot from the very first scenes and Anderson just ends up feeling like he's recycling his usual tropes to the effect of feeling so dull. I didn't hate this movie but I was amazed by how much of a chore it was to get through.

Anderson's last few movies have been criticised for disappearing too far into his own style but I personally enjoyed the unique experiences those movies provided. The French Dispatch is his magnum opus in my opinion and even if I thought Asteroid City was too overwhelming at times I still liked how much it left me to chew on but that's not the case here at all. The story was painfully uninteresting to me and it's told in the flattest, more linear way imaginable. It's essentially a series of business negotiations for nearly the entire runtime and not only do they feel insanely repetitive but they often drag on far longer than necessary.

I'm not really sure what Anderson's ultimate vision for this film because he doesn't really do anything behind the camera that we haven't seen from him before and his trademark humour really didn't work for me this time around. It's very deadpan with a lot of moments of quirkiness that just feel forced, it actually made me cringe more often than it didn't with the climax in particular feeling quite ridiculous. From a cinematography perspective it looks gorgeous and I really did feel like the performances were hitting the right notes but I just felt nothing. Most of the supporting characters just feel one noted and they end up feeling like quirks more than anything. Benicio Del Toro's character can be entertaining but he's just far too unlikable and never really felt like the script did much to redeem him by the time the film ends.

The Phoenician Scheme is disappointingly flat in almost every way and for whatever criticisms people might have with Anderson's recent offerings at least they had the energy that I thought was sorely missing here. It's not a particularly interesting story with characters that never really peaked my interest at all and the few interesting gimmicks Anderson does use feel like they've been done by him before and better. There's almost surprises technically and it really did end up feeling like Anderson was trying to make one of his own movies. Anderson is very hit and miss for me and I can honestly say that this movie felt like my least favourite aspects of all his work wrapped together in one package.

MOONRISE KINGDOM was the first Wes Anderson movie I saw, and it's still my favorite. His newest is THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a caper about Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a businessman trying to squeeze his investors for more money to help overhaul the infrastructure of Phoenicia with slave labor. Joining him on his swindling journey are his estranged nun-to-be daughter Liesel (Mia Threapleton) and his assistant/tutor Bjørn (Michael Cera). It's a wonder how this is the first Anderson film that has Cera in it, the style is a perfect fit for him. If you're not familiar with the style, it's basically side scrolling camera work, symmetrical compositions, vibrant colors, and quick, whimsical dialogue. His best works have both style and substance. This movie definitely has the style, but I think the substance was lacking for me. Maybe I'm just getting tired of his schtick. The plot felt too mechanical and less emotional. It didn't truly have me invested in any of the characters. I laughed quite a bit though. It's always fun to see who Anderson has in his movies. They probably just come in for a day or two, have some fun filming their scene then leave. As always, this has exquisite art direction and production design. I really enjoyed the main trio. Ultimately, THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME boils down to whether or not you're a fan of Wes Anderson movies. This is one of the quirkier ones in his repertoire. In my opinion, it's visually beautiful and funny, but forgettable.