Courtesy of TPS Productions / Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
"The Phoenician Scheme" Wes Anderson's silent prayer to walk together in heaven
2025.09.23
"Agreement" to become father and daughter
The Phoenician Scheme is a film about consent. It's consent to receive funding from influential people around the world. It's consent for a father and daughter to become a family. There's a contract between Zsa Zsa and Liesl. Zsa Zsa takes Liesl around the world for a "probationary period." However, during this "probationary period," it's undoubtedly Zsa Zsa who is being tested for her qualifications. Should she accept this man as her father? Liesl, always poker-faced, carefully assesses Zsa Zsa. She's a woman of negotiation. Is there enough consent to accept you as her father? Liesl, who carries a knife hidden in her pocket, is a woman capable of making ruthless decisions when the time comes. Mia Threapleton, playing the perpetually sullen nun, exudes a sculptural, painterly presence as a performer, striking a striking presence. The viewer is moved to see the girl in Auguste Renoir's painting "The Child in Blue (Edmond Renoir)", which hangs on Liesl's bedroom wall, come to life (an authentic painting is used).
Zsa Zsa was written specifically for Benicio del Toro. Zsa Zsa, who says, "I don't need human rights," shares a character causal relationship with the imprisoned artist Moses Rosenthaler, played by Benicio del Toro in The French Dispatch . They share the relationship between crime and art, a rebel against the world, a lack of fear of death, and a ferocious character reminiscent of a large, uncontrollable dog. With a large body and boyish eyes, Zsa Zsa is an "adventurer" in the style of Orson Welles. Zsa Zsa bears a striking resemblance to the billionaire Mr. Arkadin, played by Orson Welles in The Hidden Past (1955). Some have suggested that the character Zsa Zsa resembles Donald Trump, but Wes Anderson rejects this view. Anderson has said that Donald Trump lacks a moral compass, while Zsa Zsa does. This is certainly true, and one of Zsa Zsa's witty catchphrases is, "Let's communicate." Zsa Zsa even responds to terrorists holding guns in front of him with this catchphrase. He is searching for "consent." In that sense, Zsa Zsa can be said to be an anti-Trump character.

"The Phoenician Scheme" © 2025 TPS Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Before filming began, Wes Anderson, Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera, who plays the tutor Bjorn, rehearsed for two weeks. There was a lot of free rein to experiment with the acting, and at the nightly dinners that are a staple on Wes Anderson's sets, further discussions were held to help guide the next day. This is where the actors' "buy-in" began. Michael Cera's performance, which Wes Anderson had been waiting for, had a magical, all-knowing feel, as if he'd been in the film for a long time, making him the perfect choice for the role. It's well-known that Wes Anderson is a Weezer fan, and Michael Cera has even appeared on Weezer albums. This resulted in one of the greatest trios in Anderson's filmography. Tom Hanks' playful performance in the basketball scene (!) is iconic, but the film also conveys a sense of fun and excitement in every actor's performance. By the way, when asked about the theme of "improvisation", Wes Anderson replied that there is no such thing as "improvisation", but that the entire process of filmmaking can be considered "improvisation".