★★★ (3 out of 4)
What’s it about? Aviator and arms dealer Anatole “Zsa-zsa” Korda, played by Benicio Del Toro, dies in a plane crash leaving behind 10 children.
OK, stop. That would be a conventional way to describe what’s happening in Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme,” now in theaters everywhere. Lucky for us, the filmmaker known by his first name Wes (like Spike or Woody) is creatively allergic to the conventional, his dry wit ever at the ready to bend clichés to his quirky bidding. So in Wes Land, Zsa-zsa’s children are described as “nine boys and one nun.” See what I mean? And, of course, Zsa-zsa’s left the nun everything
Intrigued? I thought so. That’s Wes for you. His detractors hate on him for being annoyingly precious, building intricate and elitist cinema dioramas that lack the common touch. True, there is a bit of that. Wes lives in his own world. But his films are his way of sharing, of letting us into the pastel color palettes that windmill in his mind. But always with an ache that feels relatably human. Del Toro, the “Traffic” Oscar winner is known for offbeat line readings (think of “The Usual Suspects”) that make him an ideal fit for his director.
Having contrived the story with pal Roman Coppola, Wes opens up “The Phoenician Scheme” on atypical note of foul play. There’s Zsa-zsa covered in blood. The bombing of his private plane has left him half dead, still strapped to his seat and wondering why fate is out to get him.
“At the heart of the bruised enchantment in Wes Anderson’s tale of an estranged father and daughter, Benicio Del Toro and Mia Threapleton find just the right blend of humor and heartbreak to make 'The Phoenician Scheme' resonate beyond mere decoration. “
Who’d want to kill Zsa-zsa? Everybody actually, including his family. The bombing incident has provoked Zsa-zsa to do an about face and reform. Really? Be patient. “The Phoenician Scheme” takes a lot of twists and turns on the road to clarity. Stick with Del Toro, he’s really good. And you know who’s even better?? Let me introduce you to Mia Threapleton—she’s the gifted lookalike daughter of Kate Winslet and she has the juicy role of Zsa-zsa’s only daughter, a perpetually pissed-off, pipe-smoking nun-to-be named Leisl. About to take her final vows, she wants nothing of her father’s dangerous, ego-driven schemes for money and world domination.
Naturally, Leisl is the one Zsa-zsa picks to help him put his five-part plan (or is it six?), many involving tunnels, into action. That involves an odyssey through the fictional country of—whimsy alert!— Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia. Joining Leisl on the trip is her nerdy Swedish tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera, totally at home in Wesland). ) My eyes still glaze over at the script’s detailed explanations. The best advice is to just hop on for the joyride and let the Wes stock company of A-list actors and a few newbies entertain you, which they do royally.
Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston have a blast as noxious Ivy Leaguers, as does Scarlett Johansson as the Korda family’s greedy cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson) and Benedict Cumberbatch as the troublemaking Uncle Nubar. I won’t even tell you who Bill Murray is playing, just wait.
What’s essential to know is that the all the starry cameos, along with the dazzling costumes, set design and visual magic performed by camera wiz Bruno Delbonnel, in for Wes regular Robert Yeoman, rightly take a backseat to the father-daughter relationship at the heart of the film. And heart is what Del Toro and Threapleton supply as they find just the right blend of humor and heartbreak to make “The Phoenician Scheme” resonate beyond mere decoration.
And it’s that heart that keeps us coming back to Wes, even when he veers off course. If you love, as I do, such Wes classics as “Rushmore,” The Royal Tenenbaums” “Moonrise Kingdom,” "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (see review under Hot Rental), you’ll realize that “The Phoenician Scheme” is part of an artful mosaic that fully deserves its place in film history.