'The Phoenician Scheme'-Wes Anderson Finally Makes a Good One Again
You can call him smug; you can say he always does the same thing, and to some degree, you might be right, but Wes Anderson certainly does know comedic timing. The Phoenician Scheme is far from Wes's best work, but it's one of the funniest movies he has made in years. As easy as it is to rail on Anderson's style, it's still the signature of an auteur. One with a shaky filmography, which doesn't disregard that he's made more than two classics. One thing that makes The Phoenician Scheme better than his last film, Asteroid City, is that it doesn't feel like a collection of stunt casting but rather fleshed-out characters. Mostly. There are still the random supporting characters that could have been filled with lesser-known actors, saving money on the budget. However, it wouldn't be a Wes Anderson film without featuring an A-list cast to boast about.
The movie's protagonist exhibits a moral complexity similar to that of Royal Tenenbaum. Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) is not a good man. He's an arms dealer and industrialist. He has little room for empathy and is calculating in all his actions. Benicio Del Toro does a remarkable job of capturing the type of cold-blooded person he is. There's more to Zsa-zsa Korda's cruelty than you'd expect. As you might guess, it involves a weepy backstory.
The story literally starts with a bang when the side of a private plane bursts open, sending the guy sitting there to be blown to pieces. Without even flinching, Zsa-zsa gets up from his chair and enters the cockpit. The plane crashes, Zsa-zsa survives, but is hospitalized for a long time. While he's unconscious, Za-zsa speaks with two angels from heaven who question his actions. When he comes to, he decides to meet his daughter.
Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton) is appointed sole heir to his estate. Instead of being emphatic about the news, she's neutral. As a woman of God, it's understandable why she doesn't approve of her sinner father. It's not long before assassins, terrorists, and rival businessmen try to bring Zsa-zsa down. Here's where the film becomes a bit of a mess. Why are so many people hunting Zsa-zsa? The film intentionally leaves the point unclear, as the aim is to communicate that Zsa-zsa is a bad person who is facing a sort of penance for his actions. The movie does come to an ending that may be a bit Hollywood, but is presented in the classic Wes Anderson style that makes it work.
The story features characters who initially appear one-dimensional but prove to be more complex than they seem. Liesl has a wicked thousand-yard stare. Considering who her father is, it's no wonder why she's so cold, choosing God over riches. There's also Bjorn, played by Michael Cera, in an intentionally bad performance that delivered some of the biggest laughs. The movie's plot becomes muddled in an intricate financial scheme that is at the center of the narrative, which is woefully disappointing, as the central three characters are a blast to be around.
Luckily, the finale wraps things up nicely, as the plot shifts from backstabbing business people to focusing more on family relationships. The film is about redemption, mending old wounds, and the power of kindliness over wealth. None of it is done with any emotion. Everyone is as wooden as a tree, and the film is intentionally stagey, which is what makes Anderson's films so unifying yet polarizing. You're seeing the same stories with the same themes played on repeat and mashed together. The result is mostly unsuccessful, but when it does work, it's fantastic. Here, it's a mixed bag. For a Wes Anderson film, this movie is mediocre. As a general comedy, it's a laugh riot that towers above others in its genre. It's not just style over substance. Unfortunately, some of that substance is wrapped in a plot that has too much scheming, even for its title.
