Wes Anderson’s latest picture is another mischievous edition to his vibrant and meticulous oeuvre. The film takes on the typical Andersonian conventions, featuring an ensemble cast with many of his usual collaborators; Willem Dafoe, Billy Murray, and Scarlet Johansson to name a few. It plays out in intriguing sets, across a landscape of European and Eastern locations and is architectural, symmetrically, witty…and even dark. But at its heart, it’s a splendid story of father-daughter relationships and the push and pull of a strained dynamic.

The Phonecian Scheme, set in 1950 and released in May this year, follows Anatole ‘Zsa-Zsa’ Korda, a notorious industrialist and arms dealer and his estranged daughter Liesl, a nun who he suddenly appoints as sole heir of his estate after a near death experience. As Korda dodges various assassination attempts from his rival entrepreneurs, he begins to position his daughter to take over his company and teach her to inherit his stony means of conducting business. A firm and dry young woman, Liesl grapples with the moral implications of her fathers crook business tactics as well as the mystery of her mother’s death. The two begin work on his latest project as Liesl considers her fathers offer. This is the Phonecian Scheme, an international business plan to reconstruct Phoenicia’s (modern day Lebanon, though it is unclear whether the film is exactly set in our world) infrastructure through slave labour. Being the first time she actually gets to be around her elusive and brooding father, Liesl begins to build a relationship with him. Their personalities clash and mesh in this dynamic look at the concept of inheritance; both material and immaterial. As the film dips into notions of family, afterlife and institutions of oligarchy and patriarchy, Liesl's character evolves into one of Anderson’s most compelling female characters. I was very impressed by Mia Threapleton’s guts stepping into such a significant role. As a newcomer to Anderson’s list of recurrent collaborators, she was joined by Michael Cera, known for his iconic comedic roles in Superbad and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. Cera plays a gawky Norwegian tutor and assistant to Korda, Bjorn, an expert on insects. The film follows the three characters as Korda cheats his investors and attempts to trick them into covering the gap funding for his scheme through various failed tactics in this delightful espionage black comedy. Korda sourly loses a basketball shooting game, attempts to marry his cousin to combine their net-worths, and accidentally takes a bullet intended for another business mogul.

I really enjoyed how the film fit into this quest narrative format, where the characters must complete an overarching goal. It plays out sort of like an adventure video game and is fun and nostalgic, harkening back to classic children’s films such as Jumanji. The film's historical setting did enable potential for backward depictions of women and POC, but Anderson offered an aestheticised alternative to current reality, which gave Leisl the space to be a well formed female character. Liesl’s strength in her morals and solidity in herself is well embodied by Mia Threapleton. She is stubborn and tough, but over the course of the film, we also see her openness to learn about her father and understand his ways, whilst also asserting what she believes to be right. A wholesome perspective in contrast to its many darker themes; such as the ruthless tactics of masculine business practice highly relevant to the current global socio-political atmosphere. The film buzzes with amusing details such as Bjorn’s expertise on insects and Liesl’s vibrant eye makeup and lipstick. They would make a Liesl great couples costume! I was very impressed by Threapleton’s performance and strong presence amongst some highly prestigious co-stars. I also didn’t know that she was a nepotism-baby until I came across an article discussing her breakout role in the film. Threapleton is the daughter of the brilliant Kate Winslet. I loved seeing her fresh face flourish in the film, regardless of our collective ambivalence towards nepo-babies, her role was clearly well earned, and it's nice to see someone other than Paul Mescal or Jenna Ortega for a change (only kidding!).

In their clashing relationship, Korda and Liesl’s characters, to me, represented a tension between generations and conveyed a story of acceptance. As Korda passes on his knowledge, Liesl offers new philanthropic ideas expressing her opposition to his dishonesty. Their relationship is uncomfortable, yet also heartfelt, as they try to bridge the gap between their differences and his absence throughout her life. Father and daughter growing and healing together as they move beyond difficult childhoods void of ‘good’ father figures. Korda undergoes a transformation, a late-term hero's journey as he atones for his sins and makes right his relationship with his family in order to pass on to the next stage of his life; retirement. I liked the inclusion of these intriguing religious sequences of Korda facing the ultimate father figure; God (played by Bill Murray) and his final judgment in heaven. They were dark and literary, void of the typical colourful Andersonian lightness, reminding me of the work of Robert Eggers. The inclusion of more elaborate gore in some scenes was also shocking as this isn’t really present in the rest of his films.

Anderson’s writing collaborator on the film, Roman Coppola joins him as he steps up from the role of son to father as played out in other films the two have collaborated on. The Darjeeling Limited,  too explores parental relationships, following three brothers on a spiritual journey to reconnect with their mother and deal with the death of their father. It also has some real harrowing elements overlaying its beautiful North Indian setting. Co-written with Roman Coppola, it's interesting to see how his collaborations have evolved along with his filmic style. In interviews, Anderson noted that whilst writing the film, he and Coppola as well as their lead actor Benico del Toro reflected on their relationships with their daughters and their understanding of this specific experience of fatherhood. The film delves into fatherhood in such a beautiful and personal way, yet doesn’t ensure that Liesl must fix her father or put anyone to blame for his behavior. It is interesting how the gendered and generational divide widens as daughters step into adulthood and question their legacy. In the film, the relationship is very real and shows how fathers and daughters with estranged and wrought relationships can work together to mend much of the damage. I considered my own complicated relationship with my father during this cinema experience, a difficult relationship too. The film gave me some hope for reconciliation but also made me feel seen in Anderson’s deep understanding of the complexities of father-daughter relationships. Closing on a sweet note, the rough and unmovable Korda is changed for the better and Liesl is ready to take on the life ahead of her, with the wisdom gained from her time with her father. The film teaches us how we can learn and grow at any age. Watching The Phonecian Scheme, I really enjoyed seeing the ways in which Anderson’s practice has evolved and how he experiments with new imagery, themes and collaborations, branching out to invite up and coming performers into his tight circle. Anderson is always impressive. He is a true artist.