The Phoenician Scheme is a new film from Wes Anderson due to have its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival before releasing limited on May 30 and releasing wide on June 6. The film stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston,
Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, and Hope Davis.

When marketing started about a month or so ago, the film became one of my most anticipated movies of the year. It looked hilarious, and I loved how the trailers nor the synopsis gave anything away. It was more than enough to convince me to see this as soon as I could. So, when a screening invite for the film hit my inbox, I immediately accepted. I’m happy to report that this one delivers.

The film immediately wastes no time setting the tone. For a PG-13 rating film, I was surprised by how dark and violet the film was. It’s best to avoid any spoilers here. The film is best seen knowing little to nothing at all, which is how I like it. When it comes to the Wes Anderson name, I think it’s more than enough to rely on its built-in audience. If this was any other filmmaker with not as much credibility, I think the film would reveal more of its plot.

At the same time, I don’t think I would have minded knowing more of the plot going in as I found myself trying to catch up with what was going on. There’s a lot of information told quickly that you have to pay attention to in order to better understand it. It’s not too convoluted, but I think a second watch would help me better catch new details. Luckily, there’s already a lot to enjoy here that makes me want to revisit it.

Led by an incredible performance from Benicio del Toro, the film feels like it serves as a showcase of his talents. After watching the film, a friend and I even discussed how we love del Toro’s work, but couldn’t recall the last great movie he was in. Needless to say, I believe his work here could earn him a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars. Michael Cera is continues to branch out and do things. Between del Toro and Cera, they deliver two of the best performances of the year. Mia Threapleton is also a solid standout here that is surely going to help her gain more roles going forward.

As much as I love this cast, it does feel like a little too much like Anderson adding in all of his friends, forcing some not being able to stand out as well as others. Anderson has a good understanding of knowing how these characters need to help push the story forward. There are just a few that I think don’t have much characterization. With a 100-minute runtime, I would have liked to have seen more done for certain characters, especially the more surprising ones.

You would think that after countless films where Anderson has a clear signature style that you may get sick of it, you’d be wrong. If you’re not a fan of his style, this may not change your mind, but I think this entry shows just how well he can direct the talent between where the camera is placed and the production design. The way he frames each scenes gives you the opportunity to examine the entire screen. This is something he has excelled at, but what makes this one stand out even more if what he has the talent do on screen with their motions.

I strongly believe this is one of Wes Anderson’s funniest & darkest movies to date. The offbeat humor works for the story being told. The film wastes no time showing you just how insane this story is going to be. I haven’t heard a theater laugh with a Wes Anderson movie as much as mine did. Even with there being a lot to understand with the plot, I still found the themes in the end to be quite clear. That last scene really helps bring the whole film together in a meaningful way.

Overall, The Phoenician Scheme may not be Wes Anderson’s best. I still believe that goes to The Grand Budapest Hotel. While his style still shines through, this one may be Anderson’s funniest and darkest story to date. I can’t wait to watch this again. It has real potential to get better and better over time.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)