He’s been in the business for three decades and Wes Anderson shows no signs of altering the style which has made him one of Hollywood’s most distinguishable directors.  He’s known for quirky characters, a dry sense of humour, colourful costumes, symmetrical sets, and a fast-panning camera.  The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is my favourite Anderson flick but you could arguably pick anything from his extensive catalogue and enjoy yourself (unless offbeat comedies aren’t your thing).

The Phoenician Scheme stars Oscar winner Benecio del Toro (Traffic) as Zsa-Zsa Korda, an uber-wealthy entrepreneur who is despised/envied (take your pick) for his success.  He’s dodged numerous assassination attempts, and the movie opens with him comically surviving another plane crash.  Korda knows he’ll die “sooner rather than later” and so he’s appointed his only daughter (Threapleton), currently training to be a Catholic nun, as sole heir to his lucrative business empire.

The bulk of the film is spent following the pair as they travel across the fictious country of Phoenicia and woo business partners for a series of transformational infrastructure projects that will generate a 150-year income stream.  A boardroom full of conniving rivals have undermined Korda’s venture by increasing the price of steel rivets and so it’s a question of which co-investors will fund the cash flow “gap” to ensure the projects proceed as intended.

It’s a fast-moving, joke-filled narrative and, like most Anderson outings, multiple viewings will be required to fully grasp the humour and creative flourishes.  I’m not sure every scene works (Scarlett Johansson is underutilised) but there’s enough insane nuttiness to keep you smiling – from Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston playing basketball through to a band of guerillas shooting up a stylish nightclub.  It’s a great cast with a deadpan del Toro leading from the front as the film’s unflinching protagonist.

The Phoenician Scheme is shallower than other Anderson works when it comes to heart and emotion.  Others have tackled darker, meatier issues including questionable parenting (The Royal Tenenbaums), nostalgia (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and young love (Moonrise Kingdom).  The movie fleetingly delves into themes such as family, colonization, religion, and the afterlife but not to an extent that will question your views on the world.  Anderson’s emphasis here is farcical comedy as opposed to drama.  That doesn’t make it a bad movie (my thumbs are still up) but it’s not as memorable as I’d have hoped.