Wes Anderson Releases Visually Distinctive Film The Phoenician Scheme

Wes Anderson’s twelfth feature film, The Phoenician Scheme, continues his signature style of meticulous framing, intricate set design, and a curated visual aesthetic that evokes a nostalgic retrofuturism. The film stars Benicio del Toro as Anatole 'Zsa-Zsa' Korda, a wealthy and amoral industrialist who survives numerous assassination attempts and seeks reconciliation with his estranged daughter Liesl, played by Mia Threapleton, as he pitches a grand infrastructural project across the Mediterranean. Critics praise the film’s visual craftsmanship and complex narrative, though some find its characters lifeless and the plot overly convoluted. The story unfolds as a blend of crime, comedy, and found family themes, with a plot involving divine judgment and a trial period of partnership between Korda and Liesl. While firmly within Anderson’s established style, the film is noted for its use of a star-studded cast and its nostalgic yet weightless storytelling that may leave some viewers craving greater depth. The Phoenician Scheme has sparked diverse reactions, with some considering it a conservative-tinged film, and it has been widely anticipated following its Cannes premiere.