The Phoenician Scheme: Deep, Witty, and Worth the Watch.
by Leo Rainey
Like many Wes Anderson fans, I was quite excited about the release of the director’s newest film, The Phoenician Scheme, earlier this summer. I had viewed the trailer, seen the cast list, and had even begun to listen to the soundtrack; I had not been this excited for a theatrical release since Asteroid City in 2023. I drove to the theater with some friends, bought snacks, and settled into my seat. The movie began and I… didn't get it? Visually, it was captivating, and the dialogue was a lot funnier than in some of his other films, but I was presented with a barrage of information, and I just couldn't find much to latch on to. I drove home confused and a little disappointed. It was only when I returned to the theater to give it a second watch that I truly understood the emotional nature and meaningful storytelling of this truly beautiful film.
The movie follows Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), one of the richest men in Europe, as he plans an almost impossible infrastructure project in the fictional country of Phoenicia. After business leaders from around the world come together to manipulate the markets and thwart his plan, Korda is forced to re-visit each of the project’s principal investors, setting in motion a grand adventure. Along for the ride are Korda’s estranged daughter and nun-in-training Leisl (Mia Threapleton) and his personal tutor/administrative assistant Bjorn (Michael Cera with an almost-Norwegian accent). As per usual, the rest of the cast is star-studded, with appearances from Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed, Benedict Cumberbatch, and of course, Bill Murray, among others.
As with any Wes Anderson movie, we’re treated to a plethora of vibrant backdrops, dolly shots, deadpan deliveries, and other Andersonian stylistic choices. Nevertheless, the titular scheme in question doesn't mean all that much; it's an overly-complicated investment plan which consists of more business jargon and percentage figures than one could decode in a single sitting. Trying to keep track of every detail as fast as it's served to you proves challenging–I suggest letting it wash over you instead. Anderson uses the frame of this plan to break the adventure into chapters, introduce new players, and demonstrate how even the most carefully constructed schemes can end up going sideways. On the second watch, I paid more attention to the actual characters and how they reacted to one another rather than the details of the scheme itself.
Wes yet again delivers on a film which presents its narrative with meticulous detail and stunning visuals, but we must also look beyond that; while the movie on its face shows us a man struggling to control his business venture, upon second glance, it is unquestionably a movie about family. Raised by a man who cut him out of his will by saying "if something gets in your way, flatten it," Korda earns international renown as a ruthless businessman with a snappy nickname (“Mr. Five-Percent”). But after a nearly fatal plane crash, the billionaire is faced with his own mortality, and begins to reconfigure the way he lives his life. We see him summon Leisl and appoint her sole heir to his entire estate before dragging her and Bjorn across the world. We watch as he grows closer to and confides in Leisl, as he reconnects with old friends, and eventually, as he goes toe-to-toe with his own brother in a dramatic brawl. Over the course of the movie, the hardened industrialist becomes a loving father.
Meanwhile, Leisl has interesting developments of her own. At the beginning of the film, we see her at her most pious, training to become a nun. She initially refuses her father’s fortune, turning away from worldly desires and asserting that she has no need for money. She only agrees to accompany Zsa-Zsa under the pretense that the journey is serving as a trial period, meaning that if things go well, she’ll sign a legal document to inherit his wealth. She also joins her father out of genuine curiosity: who is her Zsa-Zsa, really? Throughout the film, we see her experiment with earthly pleasures– she drinks beer, then liquor, smokes tobacco, and finally indulges in the worst vice of all: love. Piety for the sake of piety gets her nowhere, and she is thrilled to discover her newfound lust for life.
This movie is at once dark and one of Anderson’s funniest yet. The dialogue is fast-paced and clever; from witty quips (“help yourself to a hand grenade”) to expressions of desperation (“out of jealousy and loneliness, I betrayed them”) to questions about the existence of god (“When I pray no one answers. I only pretend he does”), Wes gives the viewer more than enough to chew on. However, unlike The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch, and Asteroid City, this film is not a story-within-a-story-within-a-story; from beginning to end, we watch one man on a quest to achieve the impossible. It’s the future of his family, not his fortune, which ends up mattering most.
If you’ve seen this movie and loved it, that's fantastic; but for those who have either not experienced it, or for those who have and found themselves confused– I eagerly encourage you to give it a chance.
