The Phoenician Scheme

Wes Anderson very definitely has a style, and The Phoenician Scheme hits all the right notes. Benicio Del Toro plays a 1950s robber-baron trying to charm and con investors into bankrolling his latest morally-repugnant but financially-beneficial scheme, while also trying to get closer to his daughter who he put in a nunnery at age 5 (Mia Threapleton). It’s an intricate satire filled to the brim with big names (Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffery Wright, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Murray and many more), big colors (Anderson has a palette all to himself), and every-crazier gags. But this time, all of the bonkers and hilarious set pieces are drawn together into a single storyline and theme about redemption and family that provides a satisfying through-line for the whole film.

“Star-crammed and detailed, The Phoenician Scheme delights.” -Thelma Adams, AARP Movies for Grownups
“Each set is carefully assembled, with the blocking of each shot perfectly aligned, and Anderson’s rat-a-tat dialogue is delivered exactly as written. Still, there’s a spontaneity to the storytelling and the world it’s moving through.” -David Sims, The Atlantic
“The overall theme is redemption, and that gives The Phoenician Scheme a warm center amid all its orbiting zaniness.” -Adam Graham, Detroit News
“The result is more digestible, though also less moving, than Anderson’s recent Asteroid City, but it does have a stealth emotional weapon in Threapleton’s Liesl, who exudes the intelligence and self-possession of a young Anna Karina.” -Justin Chang, The New Yorker
“Beneath the soporific surfaces lurks an alert satirical intelligence.” -Adam Nayman, The New Republic
“Sometimes [Wes Anderson] strays too far into the arcane and the laughs get lost in the confusion but his best work is so gloriously ridiculous that you can forgive him anything. The Phoenician Scheme is in that category.” – Sandra Hall, Sydney Morning Herald
““I never personally murdered anybody,” Zsa-zsa insists with unconvincing conviction. And yet, Anderson sells us on rooting for this robber-baron. We are the film’s mark. It’s a pleasure to be so deftly swindled.” -Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times
“The raw emotion underlying The Phoenician Scheme peeks out at unexpected times.” -Marshall Shaffer, Slant Magazine
“Del Toro hasn’t had a role this juicy in ages, and he’s captivating at all times.” -William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“You leave impressed that Anderson can still manage to do what his does best without succumbing to self-parody here. The blueprint may be familiar. But it’s still a pretty foolproof plan.” -David Fear, Rolling Stone

The Phoenician Scheme opens at The Clyde on Tuesday, July 1, and plays Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 7:30.