Review: The Phoenician Scheme - Big Picture Film Club

The Phoenician Scheme is the latest film by Wes Anderson, a director whose style enchants as many as it annoys (note – I am one of those it enchants).

What’s Going On?

International businessman, arms manufacturer and all-around cad Zsa-Zsa Korda survives another assassination attempt while planning his greatest project to date (the titular “Phoenician Scheme”). After this latest attempt, he reconnects with his daughter, Liesl, who is on the verge of becoming a nun. Korda is an eccentric, free-thinking individual with seemingly little time for conventional family life, or conventional anything. Korda wants to name Liesl his sole heir…on a trial basis, the trial being as they complete the Phoenician Scheme. Also present is Bjorn, an entomologist, as Korda likes to have an expert on hand for quiet moments when he can learn about something.

The trio of Kodor, Liesl and Bjorn (who also now serves as administrative secretary) take off in Korda’s seemingly endless supply of planes to finalise the scheme and most importantly cover “The Gap”.

In Front Of The Camera

The film features a cavalcade of perennial Anderson actors in minor roles – Willem Defoe, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson but the central cast consists of Benicio Del Toro as Korda (who has previously only appeared in one Anderson film The French Dispatch), Mia Threapleton as Liesl and Michael Cera as Bjorn.

Behind The Scenes

The director Wes Anderson is one of the most celebrated directors working today; his previous films include The Grand Budapest Hotel, Rushmore and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. That said, whilst his charming eccentric style is loved by many, others find it pretentious and light on substance. It is safe to say that The Phoenician Scheme is adding to his stock of eccentric and divisive films.

The film is co-written by frequent Anderson collaborator Roman Coppola (son of cinematic giant Francis Ford Coppola), who is known primarily for his music videos and working with Anderson.

Does It Work?

The Phoenician Scheme is a very enjoyable comedy adventure of Korda constantly trying to do the impossible; scheming, plotting, lying, and liberally giving out hand grenades to potential business partners. Del Toro is an almost unstoppable force in the film; his character has survived numerous assassination attempts and plane crashes (which were likely assassination attempts) and has a “habit of surviving”. Korda is as much an anti-hero as you’re going to get in an Anderson film but as he puts increasing importance on his relationships with others – particularly Liesl, and less on his schemes he becomes increasingly likeable.

Whilst Korda is busy on his scheme, we see glimpses into a room of besuited bureaucrats seemingly running a sabotage campaign against Korda for America and its allies. The matter of fact emotionless discussion of their plans is a different tone to the larger than life shenanigans of Korda and the three minute explanation of an everyday screw is a highlight. We also see glimpses into an almost biblical scene of judgement, in black and white with everyone, including Korda, looking like they had stepped out of an ancient world morality play that is seemingly only taken place in Korda’s head as he contemplates his life and actions.

There are the typical Wes Anderson stylistic choices. The actual scheme is laid out to Liesl via a series of boxes – shoe boxes, glove boxes, shirt boxes, etc., each containing different parts of the plan and are arranged and viewed in the neat and symmetrical style of Anderson. The costumes are fantastic and ridiculous and Liesl’s transformation from dressing like a nun to dressing like a more stylish and secular nun is amusing to watch in the little pieces of flair that are added.

The film’s greatest strength is Del Toro’s performance. He captures the spirit of an unstoppable, almost unkillable figure, who is constantly moving and dealing with assassinations, spy conspiracies, unhappy business partners and unhappier familial relations. Threapleton is very believable as the conflicted religious young woman who, nevertheless, is somewhat enchanted by Korda, relentlessly pressing on him to be a better person (for example, actually being a father to his eight sons). Liesl’s relationship with Korda is very complicated, in part because he hasn’t seen her in years, in part because of their wildly different moral stances, but mainly because it is widely believed that Korda murdered her mother. Michael Cera as Bjorn is almost dull as a character but his love and enthusiasm of his subject matter – bugs – whilst events of international importance and very real danger swirl around him, wins you over.

Like most of Wes Anderson’s films, there must be two reviews of this film, one for fans of Anderson and one for everyone else. Some are brilliant and so rise above this need but The Phoenician Scheme does not.