Reel Review: The Phoenician Scheme Is Original But Doesn’t Live Up To Wes Anderson’s Iconic Filmography

Ever since I sat in the theater a month or two ago and found out Wes Anderson was coming out with another movie, I was excited but hesitant. His last film, Asteroid City, wasn’t the best. It was confusing, and I just didn’t enjoy it all that much. The Phoenician Scheme surprised me and overall, the film was very enjoyable. 

While it wasn’t as great as Grand Budapest Hotel, the story was original and the acting was good. As a wealthy businessman battles off his foes and gets them to pitch in money for a huge business endeavor, he starts off as an unlikeable guy. As the movie progresses and we see the black and white inner thoughts of Zsa-zsa Korda, we begin to see him stand trial and get better as a person. At some points in this movie, the plot was a bit confusing for me, especially at first when it started switching from color to black and white. It was a great style choice and in the end made the movie better, but overall the movie had so much going on that it was hard to be able to give a summary on everything that happened. After walking out of the theater, I was curious what Wes Anderson’s college major was because it seemed like there was a lot going on and in a way seemed to have many messages as well. If you’re curious, it was philosophy. While the movie was original and interesting, I think some parts were lost among the audience and may not be enjoyed by all. 

The acting was phenomenal in this movie. Mia Threapleton and Benicio del Toro were incredible together and really made the movie flow. It was also a nice shock when Benedict Cumberbatch showed up because I was not expecting him at all and was surprised at how well he did in the role. 

Part of the drawback of this movie was that although it was original and the stars in it were great A-listers, it seemed to take away from the movie because the entire time I was wondering when Scarlett Johansson was going to show up because she seems to be in most of Wes Anderson’s movies. While I was excited to see her and thought she was great in the movie, part of me wishes that Anderson would work with other actors sometimes because now when I watch one of his movies and she shows up I just think, “oh it’s Scarlett Johansson” which can take me out of the movie and not appreciate it in its entirety.

The movie was enjoyable and different from most movies I’ve seen. I always appreciate Wes Anderson’s style choices and color in his movies. Though the film’s color palette is muted, I believe this is a deliberate choice reflecting the protagonist’s negative traits and the film’s unhappy tone.

The Phoenician Scheme is now in theaters.