The Phoenician Scheme

"Dazzles with its trompe-l’oeil-like worldbuilding."

"Aesthetic minimalism doesn’t suit Anderson, because it shifts focus onto the drama, which is kept at such a vast ironic distance that it frequently disappears."

"Another Anderson visual feast."

"Enjoyable and executed with Anderson’s usual tremendous despatch..."

"Once again finds Anderson incorporating existential matters into a seemingly satirical form."

"Its flurry of mid-century design and rapid-fire exchanges feels like layers of painstakingly applied lacquer over human figures left barely visible by the process."

"As the caper crashes by at breakneck speed, Anderson seems to be asking you to simultaneously sit up straight and bask at a let-it-wash-over-you angle – I often felt as if I was watching the film twice at once."

"Feels as if Anderson and his team were enjoying it more than audiences ever will."

"Tethers the filmmaker’s existential interests to the kind of poignant humanistic narrative that’s been missing from his latest offerings."

"Proves that the director is at his most fun when he bends his rules."

"Like assembling a meticulously detailed puzzle: at times frustrating, but deeply rewarding when the full picture comes together."

"The machinations find a charming focus in the thawing between Del Toro and Threapleton."