At this point in his career, Wes Anderson is practically a genre unto himself. But even viewers attuned to his wavelength might find his latest film a challenge. The Phoenician Scheme, a star-studded 1950s espionage farce, is a surprising step backward for the whimsy maestro, whose signature aesthetic has often revealed a hidden thoughtfulness, and a melancholy outlook about the state of things. It’s not that these layers aren’t present here; rather, the issue is Anderson fails to reconcile the growing tension between his surface and subtext, despite a few flourishes that gesture towards breaking through his stylistic constraints. The result might just be his least engaging work.
