The Phoenician Scheme

When it comes to the world of Wes Anderson, one has to conclude that a film is going to be original--unlike so many films out there. Another very original filmmaker out there is M. Night Shyamalan whereas everyone of his films are original. Original doesn't always equate with quality or likability, however original is something Hollywood has all but abandoned. We now have been handed "The Phoenician Scheme" and again, it's quirky and weird, but original.

Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) appoints his only daughter, Liesl, (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins. There are some that attempt in assisting him, such as Bjorn (Michael Cera), Leland (Tom Hanks) and Marty (Jeffrey Wright), but is there assistance simply a ploy in order to rid of Korda? He's constantly in plane crashes and seemingly never dies, so who, if anyone, is responsible for that? The story is laid out in particular segments showcasing all these individuals in cahoots to bring Kurda down. 

Others to round out the cast are Bryan Cranston as Reagan, Mathieu Amalric as Marseille Bob, Richard Ayoade as Segio, Scarlett Johansson as Cousin Hilda, Benedict Cumberbatch as Uncle Nubar, Rupert Friend as Excalibur, Hope Davis as Mother Superior, Bill Murray as God, Stephen Park the pilot and Willem Dafoe as Knave. 

This was directed with originality and weirdness by Wes Anderson ("Bottle Rocket" '96, "Rushmore" '98, "The Royal Tenenbaums" '01, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou '04, "The Darjeeling Limited" '07,"Fantastic Mr. Fox" '09, "Moonrise Kingdom" '12, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" '14, "Isle of Dogs" '18, "The French Dispatch" '21, "Asteroid City" '23) plus shorts, videos and music videos. Anderson certainly has that distinct style to his films with not only the photography, but the production design and even the acting where his actors implement a 'dead pan' look to themselves as they say their lines. His staging and pacing is spot on and is again, similar from film to film. This film was also executed well by writer Wes Anderson (See above resume), based on a story by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola. Anderson, like Shyamalan, and others, write their own films which creates more continuity and strength. I'm not expressly an Anderson fan, however I can surely respect his work in that it is fresh and original. A fair amount of his storylines are odd and bizarre, hence the originality, and they are bent with paranoid characters, but certainly I have appreciated many of his works. This had some places of slowness and inconsistencies which made it a bit difficult to wade through. 

It is evident that when these actors convene to make any Anderson film, they come across as though they are truly enjoying themselves, and this comes across to the audience in spades. Surely, Anderson has a strong following and that is encouraging, because this means that there are moviegoers that are into something different than the typical sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, franchises, installments and the like, and that is definitively encouraging. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: PG-13                                    101mins.