A Critique of Wes Anderson’s ‘The Phoenician Scheme’: A Descent into Quirky Absurdity

The film, ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ a new creation by Wes Anderson, is a cinematic endeavor that seems to deliberately flout conventional storytelling. The film is visualized in a palette of cartoon-strip colors, primarily pale green, with a mood of mythologized satire. The central figure is Zsa Zsa, an industrialist portrayed by Benicio del Toro, who brings a sense of quirky gravity to the role. Tom Hanks and Benedict Cumberbatch are also part of this movie. Set in bizarre locations, the film features sequences within an elaborately designed private plane, where seating arrangements highlight Zsa Zsa’s perceived superiority and immortality complex. His daughter, Liesl, is brought back into his life, though their relationship is strained. The film’s fantastical universe, according to this review, struggles under its own weight, with moments of clarity obscured by Anderson’s directorial vision.