The Phoenician Scheme - Reviews

A charming arms dealer heads on the road to redemption in this pristine shot of pure pleasure from filmmaker Wes Anderson.

It’s impossible to even entertain the idea that all Wes Anderson films are the same when The Phoenician Scheme proves that the director is at his most fun when he bends his rules.

...a film that feels slighter than the surprisingly heavy “Asteroid City” but that hums with the precise craftsmanship that we expect from this singular filmmaker.

...another sublime Wes Anderson fantasy.

Mia Threapleton shines in Wes Anderson’s muted new confection.

For a film that’s never short on pithy verbal irony, The Phoenician Scheme’s most profound irony is embedded in its structure.

...takes on somber depth, somewhat unusual to Anderson’s films; it’s a movie about an influential, intimidating, controlling man confronted for the first time with losing command of his formidable life.

...a movie with its heart in the right place, and a souvenir hand grenade within arm’s reach just in case it’s needed.

Not since The Grand Budapest Hotel has a Wes Anderson movie been this delightful. The Phoenician Scheme is one worth buying into.

There's a lot to like about Wes Anderson's dense, intricate comedy, even if its rapid-fire, ultra-complex plot steamrolls over the movie's humor in the second half.

This isn’t just an aesthetic exercise. It’s a sandblasted fable about meaning and memory.

Making the most of a stellar cast, this pictorial treat sees the director approach live-action drama as if he is making animation.

Wes Anderson’s most Andersonian film is a complete delight.

...is a palate cleanser – a lovely lark, a spirits lifter.