I wonder if there has ever been a filmmaker more devoted to his or her style than Wes Anderson? If you went into a movie blind, chances are you would know it was a Wes Anderson movie midway through the opening credits. His new film, “The Phoenician Scheme” is about as Wes Andersonian as a Wes Anderson movie can be. So your appreciation for his latest will undoubtedly hinge on your feelings towards his work as a whole.

I proudly consider myself a Wes Anderson fan and (sometimes) apologist. For that reason, “The Phoenician Scheme” was a must see for me. But that doesn’t mean I’ve fallen for every movie he has made (sorry “The French Dispatch”). But there’s so much admire in a Wes Anderson production – the immaculately detailed compositions, his distinct color palette, the quirky characters, the hilarious deadpan performances, etc. His latest features all of those elements plus some.

Yet despite having all the Andersonian hallmarks, “The Phoenician Scheme” stealthily surprises with its mix of humor and heart. There are plenty of wry and whimsical laughs scattered throughout the movie’s zany adventuring, corporate espionage, and family melodrama. But at its core is a sweet father-daughter reconciliation story. And while it takes some time to fully develop, the slow and subtle healing of that central relationship adds an unexpected tenderness that leads to a heartfelt payoff.

“The Phoenician Scheme” brings together another colorful ensemble that mixes longtime Anderson favorites with fresh new faces. Benicio Del Toro gets top billing playing Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda, a ruthless industrialist and overall controversial figure who narrowly escapes the latest in many assassination attempts from an unknown enemy. It prompts him to reach out to his estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton) who is studying to become a nun.

Liesl reluctantly meets with her father where she learns he wants to make her the sole heir to his fortune and the overseer of his grandest and most ambitious scheme yet. Korda’s meticulously planned scheme involves a number of large infrastructure projects meant to revitalize the long-dormant region of Phoenicia. Of course Korda sets himself up to make a nice profit, namely a 5% annual revenue share for the next 150 years. Liesl is suspicious and hesitant, but she eventually agrees, hoping she can bring some good out of her father’s shady plans.

Unfortunately for Korda, it doesn’t take long for his scheme to hit a snag. A clandestine international business consortium led by a driven bureaucrat codenamed Excalibur (Rupert Friend) use their power to fix the prices of essential construction materials. Realizing the crippling effects of a funding deficit, Korda sets out to meet with each of his underground investors, hoping they will help financially cover the gap. He’s accompanied by Liesl and Bjørn (Michael Cera), a nerdy entomologist who gets promoted to Korda’s administrative assistant.

As the motley trio travel across the region they encounter all kinds of threats from business rivals, hired assassins, and terrorists. Meanwhile each stop they make plays like its own Anderson vignette, and each eccentric investor they visit have their own distinct peculiarity. They’re wonderfully portrayed through the finely tuned talents of Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

While Benicio del Toro is a pitch-perfect lead and we’re treated to my very favorite Michael Cera performance, it’s Mia Threapleton who will have most people talking. Her bone-dry delivery and off-kilter charm gels perfectly with Anderson’s world. And it’s a world we know well. “The Phoenician Scheme” has all the visual artistry, striking symmetry, and stunning production design fans have grown accustomed to. And the dense dialogue has that same witty tenor. But to his credit, Anderson often delivers something unique amid all the creative sameness. And that is certainly the case with his latest.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS