Wes Anderson’s filmography contains multitudes, whether we’re talking about all those dazzling ensembles – consisting of the best thespians from each generation – or what we can call his own aesthetics. The director’s cinema is a well-oiled machine with each cog (a sense of symmetry, mise-en-scene on either the micro or macro scale, bolstered colours and so on) in the right place.
Every Andersonian flick is a story on its own, a microcosm full of little misadventures, slapstick-like scenes and eccentric dialogues. In his cinematic novellas, chaos sooner or later ensues, while all of it has a source in the director’s calculation. It’s a paradox we always cherish.
Anderson’s latest feature, owing its name to the eponymous gambit undertaken in the film, is all above. And, even a little more than that. It’s not only another espionage escapade, but this time, a Tintin-like adventure made by a more versatile auteur. It’s also a hodgepodge of jovial remarks, quirky jokes and various genres – The Phoenician Scheme, which premiered recently in Cannes’ main competition, never treats itself seriously. This might be the source of its unexpected cosiness, coated by some memorable performances.
In what we can call Anderson’s first spy comedy, we follow a vile arms dealer, Anatol “Zsa-Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro). As a Machiavellian schemer, he has accrued himself many adversaries over the years. It’s now 1950, and everyone wants to kill him. But Korda, like a wild black cat, still manages to land on his four feet. However, with each danger and botched assassination, Korda senses the touch of impending death on his shoulders.
When finally trapped, our anti-hero acknowledges his position and decides to send for his future heiress, Liesl (Mia Threapleton, Kate Winslet’s daughter). Although a soon-to-be nun, she will have to choose between God and her atheist dad (it’s ironic, as Korda, surviving all those attempts on his life, reminds us of a devil-like figure). He offers her a deal, which has something to do with owning the entire Phoenicia (that’s all we can tell). To succeed and save themselves, the newly reunited family will have to bury the hatchet and forget about their conflicting views.
Casting del Toro against his usual type seems like a gamble, but an Oscar recipient for Traffic (2001) readily finds himself as a reticent trafficker and a neglectful father. Korda utters each sentence with a certain degree of distrust towards his partners and potential foes (the prominent cast also includes Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright and many more). At first, all Korda really cares about is striking a bargain. By this, Anderson deliberately exchanges his previous romantic tropes for a story about the transactional nature of the on-screen relationships.
Still, with every frivolous sequence right after another, we start seeing Korda as a tragic figure taken straight from an ancient drama. The only person in whose presence he can become truly himself is, as you can already guess, Liesl. This is why one cannot forget about Threapleton’s brutally sardonic performance.
While being Hollywood’s next nepo baby, Winslet’s acting successor proves she deserves to appear as one of the Andersonian leads. With each line delivered, Threapleton takes no prisoners – thanks to her, our wanton laughter is only a matter of time.
The father-and-daughter chemistry Threapleton achieves with one of “the usual suspects” (see: Bryan Singer’s classic from 1995) becomes a driving force of the film’s nonchalant plot. Every scene feels like a pretext to put these two together and just let them be. It’s been a while since we’ve seen such a contrasting yet complementary rapport. Throughout the screening, we spend more than a few wondrously intimate moments with these two. Oh, how much we start to miss them while leaving the cinema.
In a world where Wes Anderson can be his worst enemy, the director decided not to reinvent himself (again!) by adding disposable layers and meanings, like in his overly philosophical Asteroid City (2023), more a student essay than an enjoyable cinematic experience. Instead, we have got an exuberant tale, with Anderson finally free from the squeeze of the audience’s expectations. As his aficionados, we couldn’t wish for more – it’s his finest film since The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME is in theatres now.
photography. Maria Biardzka
words. Jan Tracz
