Title: The Phoenician Scheme
MPA Rating: PG-13
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

What It Is: Zsa-zsa Korda (Del Toro) is a powerful businessman with a grand idea. He names his only daughter Liesl (Threapleton), a nun, as the sole heir to his empire. Zsa-zsa has survived numerous assassination attempts, and once again he finds himself targeted by assassins, terrorists, and rival tycoons. Yet through it all, Zsa-zsa never loses sight of his newest scheme — one of the grandest designs imaginable.

What We Think: At a certain point, you just get tired of Anderson being fully and wholly up his own ass. Mia Threapleton is excellent here, fitting perfectly into both the film and Anderson’s style. This is stronger than his last few outings in Asteroid City and The French Dispatch. At the very least, it leans into the unhinged side of Anderson that we rarely get to see. Michael Cera is, in a word, excellent. You’ve never seen him like this, and frankly he’s two-for-two this year after his wonderful turn in Sacramento. There’s an opening sequence here that might be one of my favorites in all of Anderson’s work. Unfortunately, it’s offset by a nonsensical plot thread that drags the whole thing down.

Our Grade: C-, There’s only so much twee one can take before it becomes unbearable — and that’s where we are with Wes Anderson. If he can’t figure out how to craft something more coherent, I may finally have to jump ship. I’ve given him too many opportunities to just be somewhat normal. The self-absorption and indulgence have got to end if Anderson ever wants to be remembered as anything other than the wrong side of auteur filmmaking.