Movie Review

Houston native Wes Anderson shows off comedic side in The Phoenician Scheme

Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme.

Photo courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features

If you were to do a poll of the best comedy filmmakers of the 21st century, writer/director Wes Anderson is not the obvious choice to come out on top, but there’s an argument to be made for him. His quirky style doesn’t yield the guffaws that more broad comedies do, but the absurd situations he creates in his films are often more consistently funny than anything else.

Anderson’s inimitable approach is once again on full display in The Phoenician Scheme. At its center is Zsa-Zsa Gorda (Benicio Del Toro), a much-hated businessman who’s looking to complete a number of big projects in the fictional country of Phoenicia. As he seems to be the target of multiple assassination attempts, he appoints his daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as his heir to try to ensure his legacy.

Both she and his new assistant, Bjorn (Michael Cera), accompany him around the country as he tries to enact a scheme to have others cover the bulk of the cost for the various projects. Those he attempts to convince include Phoenician Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), brothers Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), fellow businessman Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric), ship captain Marty (Jeffrey Wright), his Cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), and Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Put in Andersonian terms, the film is a mix between the madcap antics from The Grand Budapest Hotel and the impenetrable storytelling of Asteroid City. If you were to try to understand every detail of what’s going on in the story of The Phoenician Scheme, it might take three or more viewings to do so. But the film is still highly entertaining because Anderson fills its frames with his typical visual delights, great wordplay, and his particular version of slapstick.

Much of the comedy of the film derives from Anderson inserting moments that initially come as a surprise and then utilizing them as running jokes. The film features more blood than usual for the filmmaker, but each time a character gets wounded (or worse), it gets funnier. The assassination attempts get broader as the film goes along, and the matter-of-fact way in which they’re treated by Gorda and others is also hilarious.

Of course, Anderson is the cinephile’s comedy director, so the film is also full of high-brow things like allusions to paintings, tributes to other filmmakers, and classical music. Each time Gorda has an attempt on his life, he briefly finds himself in a version of limbo, depicted in black-and-white by Anderson. The cast of characters Gorda finds there - including Bill Murray as God - could come straight out of a 1950s Ingmar Bergman movie.

Del Toro has delivered some great performances over the years, but this one is near the top for him. This is his second Anderson film (following The French Dispatch) and he nails the deadpan method. Also great is Cera, who uses a ridiculous accent to make a big impression. Threapleton, the daughter of Kate Winslet, makes the most of her first big film role. The list of supporting actors is too deep to properly laud everyone, but they all fit in seamlessly.

Opinions will differ, but for this critic’s money, Anderson is at his best when he fully leans into the comedy of his films. He does just that in The Phoenician Scheme, to the point that it doesn’t matter that the story is overly complex. The combination of his eye for visual detail, a witty script, and committed performances make it a success.

---

The Phoenician Scheme is now playing in theaters.

movies film

weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this Labor Day weekend

Photo by Brian Bowen Smith

See Josh Groban in The Woodlands on Thursday night.

Houstonians who are still mourning the loss of the one-and-only Dolly Parton can celebrate her music and her acting at two Houston events this weekend.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown will screen the 1989 tearjerker Steel Magnolias, starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, and Parton, on Thursday. (10 percent of ticket sales will go to Parton’s Imagination Library.) Or head over to Echoes in Montrose, where local DJs are playing an all-night “Dolly’s Country Music Carousel.”

Of course, a lot of other things are worth checking out this Labor Day weekend — like Jack Harlow, who will be at 713 Music Hall on Monday night.

Thursday, September 3

Mid Main Houston First Thursday Block Party
Mid Main Houston’s First Thursday Block Party starts up another season of monthly, indoor/outdoor fun this weekend. Local bands Blue Heron Yacht Club, Hudson Mueller & The Texas Teardrops, and Juke Box Train Wreck will perform. HISD Foundation, this month’s nonprofit partner, will have an HISD art car show and student performances, while the CAMH Teacher Advisory Group will have a “The Sequence Is Yours” art show at the Mid Main Gallery. And don’t forget about DJ Count Chocula spinning tunes in the breezeway. 6 pm..

Asia Society Texas presents Author Talk: Shern-Min Chow on If Not You...
Inspired by true events, retired KHOU anchorperson Shern-Min Chow's debut novel If Not You… follows a young girl who survives a devastating fire and rises from the slums of India to the elite cancer research labs at MD Anderson. Heartfelt and compelling, the novel highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that shape people's lives. A copy of the book is included with ticket purchase, and Shern-Min will be available to sign copies following the talk. 6:30 pm.

Josh Groban in concert
Singer and occasional actor (remember when he was in Muppets Most Wanted?) Josh Groban has gone full Hollywood with his latest album Cinematic. This collection has him performing such classic, Oscar-winning themes as “Moon River,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and “Skyfall.” Catch him perform these big-screen anthems when he comes to The Woodlands, as part of his Stage, Screen, and Symphony tour. 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 4

Lone Star Flight Museum presents "Moments of Heroism: Stories of Sacrifice, Selflessness and the American Spirit on 9/11" opening day
This panel exhibition features stories drawn from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum collection in New York, in remembrance of the 2,977 people who lost their lives and honors many more who stood with first responders to help others. The exhibit chronicles powerful accounts of rescue and great courage on that fateful day. Through Sunday, January 3. 10 am.

Photo by Brian Bowen Smith

See Josh Groban in The Woodlands on Thursday night.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Some Like It Hot
Celebrate Marilyn Monroe’s centennial with a glorious-35mm showing of Billy Wilder’s classic 1959 comedy. After a police raid on a Chicago speakeasy, jazz musicians Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) find themselves unemployed and on the run. When they stumble upon a gang war, they land a gig in Florida with Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators. Transforming themselves in drag, they befriend the alluring Sugar Kane (Monroe), but things derail for the pair as they start attracting unwanted attention. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Improv Houston presents Russell Peters
Internationally-known Canadian comedian Russell Peters will be in H-Town at Improv Houston this weekend, giving his takes on the current state of the world. But did y’all know he’s been apparently getting back into DJing? Earlier this year, he did a set at the kickoff party for Toronto’s Departure Festival + Conference, returning to the gig he used to do back in the day when he wasn’t making money doing stand-up. We don’t know if he’ll be doing any late-night sets in the city, but it would be wild if he did. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 pm and 9:30 pm Saturday).

Carolyn Wonderland in concert
Texas’ award-winning, guitar-slinging, soul-singing Carolyn Wonderland will perform at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge this weekend. Wonderland has more than earned her reputation as a fiercely independent artist. She has been performing professionally since the age of 15 and has been on the road her entire career. Wonderland has played with icons from Townes Van Zandt to Levon Helm, from Buddy Guy to Hubert Sumlin, from Bob Dylan to John Mayall, all while writing her own story. 9 pm.

Saturday, September 5

First Saturday Arts Market
At Houston’s original monthly outdoor art market, First Saturday Arts Market, visitors will find artists with paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and more art mediums. This month’s artists include Aimee Kudla, Annette Cenci Smith, Jose Canales, Art by Butter, Arthur Deatly, Barb Mueller, and Vivre Coffee Collective. A food truck will be on site, and local singer/songwriters can often be found providing entertainment at the market. 11 am.

Axelrad presents KG BBQ
Austin's Egyptian-inspired, Michelin-recognized barbecue joint returns to Houston for another day of smoked brisket, lamb chops, Mediterranean rice, and more. Beginning at 8 pm, DJ Caballero Cosmico will teach attendees to two step, while Tyson Webb's Outlaw Boogie will keep the crowd moving. Pre-order at the link above to skip the line. Noon.

Moody Center for the Arts presents "Radiant Geometries: Vectors of Knowledge from the Indigenous Americas" opening reception
"Radiant Geometries: Vectors of Knowledge from the Indigenous Americas" brings together contemporary Indigenous and Latin American artists whose practices illuminate knowledge as a living technology, through which the mathematical, metaphysical, and artistic realms converge. The exhibition features national and international artists, including Nanibah Chacon, Jordan Ann Craig, Patricia Domínguez, Sara Flores, Natalia Montoya Lecaros, Cisco Merel, Caroline Monnet, and Eamon Ore-Giron. Through Saturday, December 19. 6 pm.

The Tune Up: A Texas Folklife Benefit Concert
This night of accordion-driven Texas music will power the heritage programming from Texas Folklife. The event is the warm-up to Accordion Kings & Queens, and every ticket sold helps Texas Folklife keep these traditions alive on stage and in communities across the state. The night will be headlined by Conjuntazzo, featuring Grammy Award winner Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox. Opening the show is Mark Halata Texavia. 7 pm.

Katrina Walker presents Miss Dee's Kitchen
Meet Miss Dee, the Queen of the Hood — rocking her housecoat, smoking a cigarette, pushing her oxygen tank, and keeping everybody laughing with her unfiltered mouth. When her hood friends gather in Miss Dee’s kitchen, secrets spill, gossip flies, and drama unfolds. The show also features her nosy mama Sugapie, a murder mystery surrounding Frankie J’s wife, the neighborhood sidepiece Sweetbaby, Reverend Theodore Bucky aka “The Funky Preacher, “Crow,” the meanest man on the planet, and Bougie “Blu.” 8 pm.

Sunday, September 6

Trailblazers & Trendsetters Hair Show and Beauty Expo
Visitors can experience the artistry, culture, and innovation of the beauty industry at the inaugural Trailblazers & Trendsetters Hair Show and Beauty Expo. Attendees can explore the Expo and Vendor Marketplace, participate in professional education sessions, enjoy live demonstrations, and experience dynamic main-stage programming. The event will culminate with a Hair Presentation Showcase, where stylists, salons, and beauty brands will present their best work and compete for a $5,000 business grant and other prizes. 10 am.

Watercolor Art Society presents “Just Say Yes to Yupo” General Meeting and Demo
Join Fontaine Jacobs as she shares her passion for painting on Yupo. She is a self-taught artist who has shown in galleries and won awards for both her commercial and fine art throughout the United States. Fontaine paints portraits, landscapes, animals, and abstracts. She strives to merge impressionism with realism to capture an image or go completely abstract. From time to time, she gives instruction in watercolor. 2 pm.

Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company presents Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties
Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties by Jen Silverman explores anger, sex, love, and the “thea-tah” through the experiences of five women named Betty. Betty is rich; Betty is lonely; Betty’s busy working on her truck; Betty wants to talk about love, but Betty needs to hit something. And Betty keeps using a small hand mirror to stare into parts of herself she’s never examined. Through Saturday, September 19. 2:30 pm.

things to do dolly parton labor day jack harlow houston event-planner weekend events