Movie Scene: Whimsical and wise-cracking

There are certain directors who, when you settle down to watch their latest work, you instinctively know what you’re going to get. Velvet-suited Texan master of whimsical quirk Wes Anderson is one of those directors. After his last two films (The French Dispatch, Asteroid City) underperformed, Anderson returns with ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ a tighter, more linear offering that brings him somewhat closer to his best work.

Opening with a literal bang, ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ sees industrialist Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) survive yet another assassination attempt. Sensing that one day his rivals might finally succeed, Korda seeks to appoint an heir: His only adult child, a novice nun named Liesl (Mia Threapleton). Before he can hand over the reins, the pair – accompanied by Bjorn (Michael Cera) – set off to visit various investors so Korda can cover a funding gap, all while being pursued by the Excalibur Consortium, a group bent on bankrupting him.

There’s little left to say about Anderson that hasn’t already been said. His usual style is on full display here: Beautifully bright colours and pastel hues, meticulously staged and precisely framed sets, and a recurring black-and-white sequence that (initially confusing) becomes clearer as the film progresses. The deadpan expressions and quick-fire, deliberate dialogue are classic Anderson – think Aaron Sorkin without the sass.

At its heart, The Phoenician Scheme is about a strained father-daughter relationship, with Liesl believing Korda was responsible for her mother’s death. Threapleton and Del Toro go toe-to-toe, each holding their own in emotionally charged scenes, all with an existential thread woven throughout. The plot isn’t as labyrinthine or meta as ‘Asteroid City,’ following a more straightforward globetrotting journey to secure investors, though the rapid pace of the dialogue means some details can slip by if you’re not paying full attention. It’s not as laugh-out-loud funny as, say, ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ but ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ still has its fair share of cracking moments and well-placed zingers, with recurring jokes about crossbows and hand grenades. The action unfolds in a variety of strange locales – underground caves, boats, and, bizarrely, heaven.

Anderson is nothing without his ensemble, and many of his regulars are here: Benedict Cumberbatch, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Tom Hanks, Mathieu Amalric, Rupert Friend, Willem Dafoe, and (naturally) Bill Murray. They’re joined by first-timers Threapleton, Riz Ahmed, Richard Ayoade, Alex Jennings, and Hope Davis. Needless to say, they all know what’s required and deliver it with aplomb.

A welcome change from the meta-ness of ‘Asteroid City’ and the new wave feeling of ‘The French Dispatch,’ ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is by-the-book Anderson: whimsical, wisecracking, and wonderfully framed.