<\/p>\n
Back in 1993<\/a>, a University of Texas at Austin student\u2019s short film generated buzz at the Sundance Film Festival, a festival dedicated to upcoming independent filmmakers. Twenty-two years later, that very student would premiere<\/a> his newest film at the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious festival for filmmakers. That student in question? Wes Anderson. The short film played at Sundance was \u201cBottle Rocket,\u201d which would be adapted into his feature-length directorial debut. After over two decades\u2019 worth of work \u2014 honored with an Academy Award<\/a>, British Academy Film Award<\/a> and Golden Globe \u2014 Anderson premiered his newest film, \u201cThe Phoenician Scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n At this point, Anderson has clearly entered the late-stage era of his career. Even though he isn\u2019t burdened with old age (as he is only 56<\/a>), his decades of experience have left him in a position where his current era feels like a reflection of his life and career. This reflexive and meta-introspection was evident in his previous<\/a> feature<\/a>, \u201cAsteroid City,\u201d <\/strong>and now here in \u201cThe Phoenician Scheme.\u201d His late-stage era is not merely an inward look on the past 22 years of his career; it arguably borders on self-parody as well, using\u00a0heavily stylized settings where his signature quirks are amplified. But while \u201cAsteroid City\u201d felt like a reflection of Anderson\u2019s artistry, \u201cThe Phoenician Scheme\u201d feels like a reflection of his life beyond the screen \u2014 a life revolving around his personal relationships and family.<\/p>\n There are two types of people in the world: those who appreciate<\/a> this era of Anderson, and those who don\u2019t<\/a>. The reasoning behind these positions varies; perhaps it\u2019s the intensification of his distinct style, or perhaps it\u2019s the larger ensembles of quirky characters and their stylized<\/a> speech. Maybe it\u2019s the continuation of his whimsical and eccentric narratives. To no surprise, \u201cThe Phoenician Scheme\u201d fits all the bills of Anderson\u2019s trademark stylings. The plot revolves around businessman Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro, \u201cReptile\u201d) who realizes that his death is near and, as a result, attempts to pull off the deal of the century while also reconciling with his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton, \u201cThe Buccaneers\u201d). <\/p>\n In contrast to Anderson\u2019s recent works like \u201cAsteroid City,\u201d which attempted to balance the narratives of multiple characters, or \u201cThe French Dispatch,\u201d which was structured as an anthology with self-contained storylines, \u201cThe Phoenician Scheme\u201d purely focuses on Korda\u2019s journey. To me, Anderson\u2019s strongest films work when the narrative is anchored by a single established character rather than an ensemble \u2014\u00a0 think Mr. Fox in \u201cFantastic Mr. Fox\u201d or Max in \u201cRushmore.\u201d We, the audience, are with the characters at their lowest (like Mr. Fox stuck under the sewer) and their highest (like Max putting on his play), and thus, we connect with these characters more. In Anderson\u2019s ensemble works, the numerous storylines, arcs and personalities result in a weaker connection with the characters, due to the fact that he has to develop all of them in the same amount of time as his singular-protagonist narratives. With this film structured around Korda (who is written as a Royal Tenenbaum-esque character), the audience is able to explore him as a whole, from the intricacies of a guilt-ridden father to the tough persona of a capitalist businessman.<\/p>\n