REVIEW: ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ asks Wes Anderson to expand his borders

Anderson has been refining the visual sensibility seen in The Phoenician Scheme for years, with each successive film feeling like a slightly more concentrated version of what came before. It’s a style that has its detractors, and I doubt Anderson will ever swing back to something resembling a “normal” indie film. But even I, as a long-time fan of Anderson, found myself feeling a little claustrophobic during this latest release. As much as I love the filmmaker’s style, the world of Zsa-zsa Korda felt like it deserved a little more freedom, with more location shooting in the model of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou or Moonrise Kingdom.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowJune 11, 2025wes anderson, phoenician scheme, 2025, review, benecio del toro, michael cera, mia threapleton, movie, filmComment

REVIEW: ‘Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’ is a mostly earned victory lap

By morphing the series from episodic adventures to a cohesive, serialized format, some of the flimsiness of the characters and the story begins to show. Both Dead Reckoning and The Final Reckoning try to retcon Hunt’s backstory, giving him a dead love interest and an oath to the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) that he’s seemingly repaid many times over. The screenplay recontextualizes old plot elements, like the so-called Rabbit’s Foot from M:I 3, into this film, to apparently sweep us up into the feeling that we’ve been on a grand journey with the series for 29 years.

REVIEW: ‘Friendship’ connects sketch comedy absurdity with feature film scale

Like so many I Think You Should Leave characters, Craig is like an eager-to-please robot with a corrupted software update. Basic structures of human connection elude him, and while he can perceive when he’s done something wrong, his reaction is often to dig in his heels, obfuscate or distract, rather than apologize. There’s a specific quality that Robinson’s voice takes on when this happens; a raspy, guttural sound entirely his own that I find intensely funny.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowMay 22, 2025tim robinson, netflix, paul rudd, kate mara, comedy, movies, review, friendship, 2025Comment

REVIEW: 'Thunderbolts*' gives Marvel movies a reason to keep going

Anyone who remembers the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie will recognize some of the narrative techniques here: establish the grimy backstory of the roguish heroes, force them to become allies, and transform them into an ersatz family by the end. However, in contrast to the rainbow-coloured, cosmic goofiness of the Guardians movies, Thunderbolts* is decidedly more grim and dour. All of these lead characters have lots of blood on their hands, and they’re pretty depressed about it.

REVIEW: 'The Amateur' has some things to learn about suspense

The Amateur wants to be a story about the double-edged sword of revenge, but it struggles as much as Charlie wavers when he holds a pistol.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowApril 12, 2025movie, film, espionage, rami malek, laurence fishburne, jon bernthal, holt mccallany, 2025Comment

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