Always Good Movies

Direction: Wes Anderson
Country: USA

In his latest feature, The Phoenician Scheme, Wes Anderson takes aim at capitalism without morals, blending slapstick and absurdism in a live-action espionage comedy suffused with sumptuous visuals and imaginative scenarios marked by his signature symmetry. Co-written with Roman Copolla and dedicated to his father-in-law, Lebanese businessman Faoud Malouf, the film was primarily shot at Babelsberg, the world's oldest film studio, and boasts an impressive cast led by Benicio Del Toro, Kate Winslet’s daughter Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera.

Zsa-Zsa Korda (Del Toro), a cunning, wealthy industrialist, has survived multiple plane crashes and assassination attempts. Wanted for fraud, he is a man of countless schemes and grand projects for the Phoenicia region. He designates his daughter Liesl (Threapleton), a 21-year-old nun, as the sole heir to his empire.

The story zigzags between relentless assassins—all former employees of Korda—infiltrators, double agents, betrayals, revolutionary guerrilla robberies, mysterious shoeboxes, and a hilariously odd basketball competition. The dialogues are surprisingly witty, and Anderson’s cinematic universe is stylized to reflect his unique whims. The Phoenician Scheme may not fully achieve the greatness it aspires to, but it offers a relentlessly stylish parade of comic characters—certainly a more charming, funny, and captivating experience than Anderson’s previous dull feature Asteroid City (2023). At least here, I remained invested in the characters, in a film propelled by an atypical rhythm and enlivened by an unapologetic “cartoon” sensibility.

Framed by fragmented twists, it doesn’t always land both narratively and comically, but its flashes of darkness bring a welcome novelty to a burlesque depiction of society that questions our times with explosiveness and wild madness.

Direction: Errol Morris
Country: UK

The Pigeon Tunnel lifts the veil on the life of David Cornwell, better known as John le Carré, the renowned author of espionage classics such as The Spy Who Came From the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Constant Gardener. Weaving together sparse archival footage, newspaper articles, and re-enactments of Cornwell’s life episodes, this documentary frames a singular portrait of a man of mystery whose life inspired his literary masterpieces.

The notable documentarian Errol Morris, who excelled with The Thin Blue Line (1988) and Gates of Heaven (1978), takes on the role of interrogator and interviewer in a competent manner. However, despite an imposing score and enigmatic imagery, the film lacks a certain tension that one might expect from a spy-related narrative. Yet, the film compensates with interesting revelations and intimate details that will probably make fans and newcomers care.

The documentary delves into le Carré's complex relationship with his con artist father, Ronny, and mentions Kim Philby, a notorious spy for the Soviet Union and betrayer of the Queen, who held a deep admiration for le Carré's work. Its main strength lies in le Carré's secret life, shedding light on themes of betrayal, deception, duty, and morality. The eternal dance between manipulators and the subjugated is vividly portrayed, adding depth to the narrative.

Although Morris' direction may be criticized for feeling somewhat static, there is a certain fascination in witnessing how le Carré, often labeled the ‘poet of self-hatred’, crafted novels that seamlessly blended imagination and personal experiences with unparalleled competency. The author died in 2020 at the age of 89.