The Phoenician Scheme is director Wes Anderson’s foray into spy comedies, specifically corporate espionage. The story follows a cynical and unscrupulous businessman, Zsa-zsa Korda (an excellent Benicio del Toro), who, after a long series of failed assassination attempts, decides to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton, daughter of Kate Winslet), to name her his heir—even though she is a nun. When the U.S. government launches a plot to sabotage his biggest business, Korda and Liesl must travel across the country to convince their partners not to withdraw their investments, evading sabotage and assassination attempts along the way. While this is a new genre for Anderson, the film repeats much of his style and themes, telling the story of an outsider searching for genuine connection. It won’t change the mind of any fan or detractor of the filmmaker, but one thing is very clear: Anderson’s humor is more refined and precise than ever. If you’re a fan of his work, you’re in for an incredible time.
After Fantastic Mr. Fox, director Wes Anderson (Asteroid City) once again tackles an adaptation of a Roald Dahl work with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, an exclusive Netflix short film in which the filmmaker pushes all the boundaries of his distinctive style. The result is a brilliant piece that plays with various narrative levels: the story is narrated by Dahl himself (Ralph Fiennes), who tells how the egocentric and eccentric millionaire Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch) discovers a notebook containing notes from a doctor (Dev Patel) about the experiences of a circus mystic (Ben Kingsley), a man who learned to "see without using his eyes." Wes Anderson's entire idiosyncrasy is taken to its extremes in this short film, so it won't change your mind if you're one of his critics. However, fans will delight in a true treat in which the director shows that the artifice of his cinema is no impediment to reaching profound and moving truths with his stories.
Asteroid City could be described as the "most Wes Anderson" film of Wes Anderson (Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel), in the sense that the director not only reaffirms his style -with all its artifices- but from the beginning is self-aware of them. The story here is framed as a theatrical work about the remote homonymous village, where a space convention for privileged intellectual youth takes place, where events of existential implications occur. Through an absurd plot and using his typical cast of actors -with some new names like Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie and Maya Hawke- Anderson presents us with situations that make art and science converge in the spiritual experience of not understanding anything, but still searching for purpose. For those who are not avid followers of the director, this movie may not fit their sensibilities. However, fans of the filmmaker and his peculiar style will love it. Read more in our review of Asteroid City.
If you've watched other films by filmmaker Wes Anderson - such as Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs and Moonrise Kingdom - you know exactly what to expect from The French Dispatch: extravagant lyricism, refined humor, polished aesthetics, beautiful cinematography, a story based on subtleties, and lots and lots of eccentricity. This time, the director and screenwriter makes a great homage to literary journalism, with the publication 'The French Dispatch' clearly inspired by the magazine 'The New Yorker'. Thus, we follow the gaze of American journalists in the fictional French city of Ennui - all inspired by important names in the North American press, such as Harold Ross, Joseph Mitchell and James Baldwin. In anthology format, the feature film seeks to address the most diverse topics, such as the value and interpretation of art, human relationships, love, sex, the search for youth for revolution and the clash with conservatism, gentrification and even journalistic neutrality. The cast is stellar, including names like Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Tilda Swinton, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Léa Seydoux, s McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Christoph Waltz, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe and Saoirse Ronan - all in major or minor roles, some appearing for just a few seconds. It is certainly not the most accessible film by Wes Anderson, requiring the viewer, in some way, to orbit or have a taste for the themes brought to the screen, in addition to an affection for the director's style. If that is the case, you will certainly find a love letter to literary journalism and art, including cinematography.
A stop-motion feature film in the style of Wes Anderson, known for movies like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom. This is the second time the director has ventured into the world of animation, the first being Fantastic Mr. Fox, highly praised by critics and nominated for an Oscar. With the mask of children's production, Isle of Dogs criticizes society and interventions made by indifferent politicians to public opinion. An excellent movie that will entertain fans of Wes Anderson and also those looking for a good story.