THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME (2025)

Written & Directed By: Wes Anderson

Story By: Wes Anderson And Roman Coopola 

Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel

Editor: Barney Pilling 

Cast: Benecio Del Toro, Mia Therapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johanson, Jeffrey Wright, Riz Ahmed, Bill Murray

Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.

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It’s getting harder and harder to review Wes Anderson films as it feels like with each film he gets more and more Lost or not even Lost just sticks to his style

There is nothing wrong with that even though it might annoy Some audiences. who want

him more to evolve, just asked from his early films, which had certain sensibilities, but weren’t quite as artistic, as his films are now and at least felt a little more free, whereas his films now, which is a style feel a little more closed off

It feels like more he’s making the film for himself than necessarily an audience. Now he does achieve what most filmmakers seek. He creates his own world and settles into his own absurdist fashion comedies with a tight, bright aesthetic, and all seem to be homage to something or someone.

Is films aren’t necessarily bad it’s just a style you have to get used to it either. You love it or you hate it. You Can enjoy them because they are visual story books pretty much while one can’t say they loved each and every one  of his films but one will say there’s at least something interesting about each film and they’re all pretty to look at.

This film one can believe allows younTo get into a bit more than his last film ASTEROID CITY, maybe because it wasn’t such a big cast and while it’s kind of a spy/espionage tale, that seems to go global near Sumner. This one is more enjoyable personally because he tries to be deep at times, but it more focused on the actual story plot and moving forward, even though there are plenty of character moment.

whereas ASTEROID CITY, each was just the size of the cast was so grand, but it did have more dramatic moments and showcasing of actors but that also seem to be a little bit more devoted to a little sci-fi, but definitely to theater whereas this film still has that kind of deadpan humor. It does have an emotional center that is an obvious, but it does come about this also feels more like a common. 

That with this room, Benicio Del Toro gets the rare leading man role, where he gets to be comedic and suave and commanding even though he’s surrounded by an ensemble, who more seem to play caricatures or pretty much their wardrobe, pretty much defines their character it’s still managed to take you on a journey maybe not as emotional this one is a bit more detached, playing more into it setting in Europe 

The film does offer Michael Cera, a more noteworthy rolled and he has had in sometime. No as an ensemble whenever the big names in the Castillo show up, it’s still does feel like they’re more guest starring. It’s a little jarring and takes you out a little reminding you that it’s a production but then again, that is how most of Anderson’s films tend to feel as over the years they feel like they’ve gotten more and more away from any kind of reality or truth, at least in any kind of world that we might now but makes sense and can be emotional and their own kind of worlds.

This places perfectly into his wheelhouse, but it seems to lack the flare that his films usually have

One will say that Wes Anderson films are starting to feel like not only their own world, but kind of going into a museum where the designs and patterns are so well. So that they always seem hip and watchable.

Grade: B 

THE IMITATION GAME (2014)

Directed By: Morton Tyldum. Written By: Graham Moore. Based On A Book By: Andrew Hodges Cinematography: Oscar Faura Editor: William Goldenberg Music score: Alexandre Desplat

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightly, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

Just like when the film is set. The film plays like a spy film Filled with espionage and thriller elements. For what the film might lack in action for some. It leaves the audience with a more devastating aftermath of emotions.

The thrills are given in a much more intelligent battlefield as the action is more a meeting of the minds and trying to outsmart one another.

Throw in a story of a great inventor and his everlasting invention. That was itself a journey to build with plenty of naysayers and challenges.

There is also a kind of love story at it’s heart but maybe not the one you are expecting. Not to mention a focus on the injustice and prejudice of homophobia and anti-gay rights.

So this film has it all, likely Oscar bait but for once. One with some bite and thrills that come out of nowhere and could have been a simple period drama, but comes out and is actually exciting though some might find it to be a little like a British version of the movie A BEAUTIFUL MIND. Though much is going on all the parts for precisely together.

The performances are off the charts. Keira knightly as the Love interest and top code breaker still has to deal with sexism and domesticity as her parents expect her to be a good wife and find a husband before she can use her skills and brilliance.

Mark strong as the mysterious Mi6 agent and liaison is devious and powerful.

Benedict cumberbatch really shows his range as he can be the awkward outsider o e minute, the pretentious snob and know it all but also the heartbroken and doomed. That you want to save him, but can’t

A film that is built like a drama but plays more like a thriller, with room enough for drama. As on one point he works to get his invention to work and then on another keeping his sexuality a secret. Even though he seems rarely to find interest in others. Even though a romance or more partnership does develop.

Even when he is black mailed on all sides and slowly starts to make friends as others finally get used to him and his polarizing personality that one could easily label it as partially inspired by BIG BANG THEORY with the character Sheldon from that show.

We get to see what makes him tick or inspires him to imagine. as the project keeps something alive in him a kind of hope, love and memories.

How it can be greater Than anything in life. Including your own. The object takes the place of a lost love that could never be. So he builds something his great creation as a kind of loving memory.

How all this history is revealed from just a breaking and entering case. Leaving the detectives in the hunt for supposed treason and spies turns into a heartbreaking story that destroys his whole life because of a detectives insistence over being dismissed and talked down to by him and who has no idea what he will cause and never meant to.

How our actions can have deeper ramifications then expected and can’t be taken back.

The title seems to come from code breaking, imitating the enemies code system to read and understand their messages. It would also be used for the main character who always knew he was different.

So he tried calling initiate others to fit in to a point that no one would really notice and if he couldn’t replicate her would keep people away. More like push, so they never really got to know him.

GRADE: A

ZOOLANDER 2 (2016)

zoolander3

Directed By: Ben Stiller
Written By: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Nicholas Stoller & John Hamburg
Based On Characters Created By: Ben Stiller & Drake Sather
Cinematography By: Daniel Mindel
Editor: Greg Hayden 


Cast: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, Justin Theroux, Kristin Wiig, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christina Hendricks, Olivia Munn, Jon Daly, Billy Zane, Andy Dick, John Malkovich, Alexander Skarsgard, Moshe Kasher, Fred Armisen, Kiefer Sutherland, Naomi Campbell, Ariana Grande, Kate Moss, Sting

Derek and Hansel are lured into modeling again, in Rome, where they find themselves the target of a sinister conspiracy.

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BLACK MASS (2015)

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Directed By: Scott Cooper
Written By: Jez Butterworth & Mark Mallouk
Based On The Book By: Dick Lehr & Gerard O’Neill
Cinematography By: Masanobu Takayanagi
Editor: David Rosenblum 


Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgeton, Rory Cochrane, Benedict Cumberbatch, Corey Stoll, Jessie Plemmons, Peter Sarasgaard, Kevin Bacon, Adam Scott, Juno Temple, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, W. Earl Brown

Based on a true story of James “Whitey” Bulger, an Irish Mob godfather and FBI informant who had a “secret trading” deal with his brother, William “Billy” Bulger, a state senator and a Boston public figure, and John Connolly, an FBI agent. They planned to take down the Italian mob and mafia in Boston, which went awry and things turned massively violent. When the credence for each other began fading out, drug dealing, murders, and extortion started to rise, and forced the FBI’s Boston office to confirm that Whitey Bulger was one of the most notorious criminals in US history and also one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List criminals.

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