Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Benicio Del Torro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch
Running Time: 101 minutes
Synopsis: In the Balkan region of the 1950s, wealthy arms dealer and industrialist Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda (Benicio Del Torro) hatches a scheme to profit from a grand infrastructure project in Phoenicia, all while dodging a series of assassination attempts. He initiates a rapprochement with his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a nun, to help him complete the project, but Korda's enemies manipulate the stock market, leaving him short of funds. To close the gap, Korda, Liesl and Norwegian tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera) travel to meet with investors, hoping to dupe them into increasing their funding.
What Works Well: Wes Anderson's tableau artistry is on full view, in service of a ruthless but charismatic tycoon on a journey to rescue the deal of his life. The vivid colours, geometric scene structures, and deadpan performances create a mid-century vibe of wealth, power, negotiations, and manipulation, all infused with a less-than-serious undertone. The more thoughtful moments allow Korda and Liesl to poke at their past, his record as a father, her devotion to religion, and the headaches of reconciling nefarious capitalism with divine teachings. Benicio del Toro holds the centre as a parade of stars animate secondary roles.
What Does Not Work As Well: After a strong start, the narrative quickly loses steam and dissolves into aimless repetition. The meetings with investors are obsessed with muddled minutiae for its own sake, sacrificing the big picture for trinkets and gimmicks. Black and white flashforwards to Korda's date with destiny add little of value, while conversely the complex history between Korda, Liesl, and her mother is chewed over but never shown. The apparently key character of Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch) arrives too late to counterbalance Korda's dominance.
Key Quote:
Korda: Myself, I feel very safe.
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