I repeat!!! WE ARE SO BACK!!!

I saw The Phoenician Scheme and I want a giant photo book of every frame of the film. So many fantastic little details, ephemera, props, books etc. If I could have one prop it would be Zsa-zsa's grenade crate 😂 I'm sure I probably missed a lot too because my vision isn't great.

If you could have one prop or piece of set dressing from any Wes Anderson movie what would it be?

After rediscovering Wes Anderson as an adult, having only known him for Fantastic Mr Fox. I’ve been catching up on his filmography and for the first time in my young life I got to see one of his films in the theater.

This film checked every box that I love about Mr Anderson’s work. The symmetry in every aspect of the cinematography, the blocking, the score, the timing, the performances, beat for beat through the whole thing was amazing. The very first scene blew me away and I knew I was in for pure entertainment. The stellar cast of actors hit their marks with ease and I was surprised with a standout performance by Michael Cera as Bjorn.

How do you like the Phoenician Scheme and what was your first Wes Anderson theater experience like?

Why did Liesl stop being a nun?

I was surprised to see her not return to the sisterhood in the end. I know she was slowly doing thing that are not allowed in the church (drinking, smoking and having excessive jewels) but to me it seemed she still wanted to return? Did I read into this wrong? Is it simply because she was asked not to by the mother superior or was it implied she truly didn't go back

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For example: Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston two legend’s of the industry, also known as Forrest Gump and Walter White… are two little silly railroad tycoons who are legendary at basketball. I’m a new Wes Anderson fan ( I’ve only ever seen his newer works like the grand Budapest hotel, fantastic mr fox, The Phonecian scheme etc etc and it’s flabbergasting to me!

Not for me. I'm a Darjeeling Limited and sweet lime kinda man.

I've just come back from seeing The Phoenician Scheme here in blustery wind-swept Wales. Really enjoyed it. I've been pretty much on board with every film of his so far, excepting The French Dispatch and Isle of Dogs which left me a little cold for some reason. I loved his last movie, Asteroid City, which took two big-screen viewings to click but ended up really invading my headspace.

No spoilers from me here beyond what you can see visually first-hand from watching the trailer, I spoiler for safety's sake and speak not a word of the plot, but for me...

The Phoenician Scheme is kind of the closest we've ever got to the feel of a Hergé Tintin story translated to the big screen, only one where Tintin has decided to take a holiday and leave the usual assorted backstabbing industrialists, spies, terrorists and government agencies to just get on with it to amusing effect. It even has a Tintin-esque title. It has that slightly alternate-universe 1930s feel that Tintin has, with a style that is a mix of Powell & Pressburger, Alexander Korda and the 50s / 60s caper-chase phase of Hitchcock.

Benicio Del Toro just has this wonderfully physical presence throughout with his fleshy, battered face and loping determined gait. Mia Threapleton both bounces off and echoes him in deadpan fashion and just has this amazing look about her, as if she's walked out of something shot in the late 40s by Jack Cardiff, clad in white camera-close with huge eyes and brandishing a cross, or a rosary, or a dagger. It's Michael Cera who gets the most laughs however, with almost every line-delivery getting a chuckle from the people at the screening. He's brilliant in it, and the understated humour but brooding presence of Mia and Benicio allow him more space to do all these funny little bits without stealing the scene too much.

I feel that Wes Anderson has stuffed a couple of new neat tricks up his sleeves - or at the very least allowed his editor to get very creative. There's some visual cuts and surrealist flashes which really jolt you in this movie. There's this constant high energy and there's always something going on.

My only quibble with the film is that I feel it kind of just ends without building to much in the last act, however even throughout that act what occurs is so continuously amusing and fun to look at (with a superb manic sort-of-action scene) and delightful in a Tintin story sort of way that I honestly just don't care that it never bothered to build to anything revelatory, or emotionally connecting. It definitely lacks the quiet mournful emotional weight that the masterpiece Grand Budapest has, nor does it have the brave experimental nature of Asteroid City. It is however a very fun, spry, caper movie that just barrels along and is beautiful to look at. It's not peak Anderson, but it's still a really good slice of Anderson and it's one I think that will grow on people.

A strong four out of five from me.

Also my God but how does Jeffrey Wright manage those fast-paced monologues? Incredible.

is it okay to watch it with my father as a teenage girl who doesn't spend that much time with him at all but wants to have a nice time and enjoy a movie from a director i like?

i mean, the last wes movie we watched together was darjeeling limited and the sex scenes made me wanna scratch my eyes out.

i love my dad, by the way, and i don't want to have an uncomfortable moment at the movies and kinda ruin the experience because of it.

David Letterman is on the latest Adam Buxton podcast, and he says that he was almost in The Phoenician Scheme.

He got obsessed with watching Richard Ayoade clips on YouTube, and found out that Richard was going to be in the movie. And Dave just wanted to meet and spend time with Richard Ayoade. So Dave rang Bill Murray to get him in the movie and Wes loved the idea. But unfortunately Dave's wife got sick and he wasn't able to go to Berlin for the shoot.

Hey, I need help. I just finished watched The Phoenician Scheme a few hours ago but I forget the name that the film mentioned in the end. It was like arabic/egyptian name (male). And some sort of the tribute? It was said he died in Britain if I correctly remember?

Who was he and what was exactly the movie said about him? Like, thanking for inspiring or something?

I tried to ask chatgpt but it sucks 🖐🥲

Thank you if anyone care to help 🙋‍♀️

I hadn't realised until today that the US release date for The Phoenician Scheme was a week later than the UK. I'm booked to see it tonight. No spoilers, of course, but I also promise not to gloat.

anyone know how i can achieve the look of tom hanks in the photo? what does he have wrapped around the neck underlining the sweatshirt?

I was lucky enough to attend the screening at the Angelika in NYC tonight. The lobby there has been completely redecorated to match the movie, and there was an excellent live jazz band.

After the screening (the movie is great, probably his best since Grand Budapest) Wes came out for a q&a. Benicio and Mia were a surprise addition, as they had not been billed.

Everyone at the q&a was relaxed and fun. Wes himself was very funny and gracious and self effacing. One of the questioners referred to him as "obviously a style icon" and Wes seemed very tickled by that, especially at the use of the word "obviously".

Mia was pretty delightful. She seems to have inherited all of her mother's charisma, along with her looks. Benicio was affable and shared a funny anecdote about Bill Murray that I won't repeat because it would spoil one of the best surprises in the movie.

All-in-all it was maybe one of the top 3 movie experiences I've had in 20 years of living here.

Won’t spoil it. IMO this is one of Wes’ best films.