Wes Anderson returns to his regular theme of the relationship dynamics between flawed fathers (or father figures) and their offspring in The Phoenician Scheme. Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), arms dealer and one of Europe’s richest men, finds his life under constant threat from business rivals and terrorists. Fearing for the future of his business, he decides to anoint his estranged daughter Liesl, a nun with nine brothers, to be his sole heir. His protégée soon finds herself exposed to numerous assassination attempts, as well as romantic overtures from Björn Lund (Michael Cera). Anderson populates his trademark visual style with the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, and numerous others in this typically eccentric and ornate black comedy.

Notes by Kevin Coyne.