Wes Anderson talks ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ Gene Hackman and his Cannes bus

CANNES, France (AP) — Wes Anderson isn’t in charge of transportation. Laurent is. That is the driver who is transporting Anderson to the Cannes Film Festival along with his bus.

Speaking on the phone, Anderson clarifies, “I don’t drive the bus,” as they travel from his Parisian home to the South of France. You must have a bus driver’s license from the EU and complete about four years of training. The problem is that you must be able to drive a bus like this in reverse if you plan to operate one. “.”.

Instead of using the standard festival vehicles that transport attendees, Anderson has been bringing his own bus to Cannes for years in order to bring his entire cast to the premiere together. The premiere of Anderson’s latest film, “The Phoenician Scheme,” will take place on Sunday, and Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, and Bryan Cranston will all be present. “”.

This is just one more instance of how Anderson has turned something highly unusual into a custom.

Since making his film debut in 1996 with “Bottle Rocket,” Anderson has been making films that are distinctly his own with a remarkable regularity. Differences exist. A few are large-scale family dramas, like “The Royal Tenenbaums.”. Some are more personal (“Rushmore”). There are some that have more layers (“Asteroid City”).

Anderson’s comedic skills are on full display in “The Phoenician Scheme,” a shorter story that Focus Features will release on May 30. In this lighthearted and moving thriller, Del Toro plays Zsa-Zsa Korda, a tycoon who chooses to name his daughter, a novitiate (Threapleton), the heir to his dubious wealth.

For Anderson, 56, the wheels continue to turn. However, there are also indications of time passing. In addition to an Anderson retrospective, the Cinémathèque in Paris is showcasing props, costumes, and other items from Anderson’s vast personal collection.

These and other topics were discussed by Anderson, who has a 9-year-old daughter with his wife, costume designer Juman Malouf, while traveling to Cannes to present “The Phoenician Scheme,” a film that gives the Wes universe yet another apt motto: “What matters is the sincerity of your devotion.”. “.”.

AP: How did you find everything you had saved from your movies?

ANDERSON: We’ve had this stuff for a very long time. It was a really enjoyable experience. To give my approval, I would kind of get pulled over there. I responded by saying, “Well, we have more stuff.”. So we continued to add items. Many of these things have been a part of my daughter’s life. After we created the film in boxes, the “Fantastic Mr. Dot Fox” puppets have been in our New York apartment ever since. She has played with them and taken them out over the years.

AP: Jason Schwartzman once expressed to me that although your films aren’t meant for children, they’re “like they’re for kids when they grow up.”. “Are you on board?

ANDERSON: (laughs) Jason and Bill do have a way of surprising you with a phrase. However, I appreciate that description. Given that Jason was 17 when I first met him, it’s kind of an incredible experience to have him in our films for so long. It’s an odd sensation and enjoyable. It will take decades for you to have spent that much time together. It’s pretty startling that they do. But there it is.

AP: The father-daughter interactions in “The Phoenician Scheme” are its most endearing features. Did your own fatherhood experience inspire you in any way?

I didn’t think I wanted to share anything about what fatherhood is like, Anderson said. The story was genuinely inspired by a concept for Benicio and this character. However, if I hadn’t, I doubt he would have had a daughter. That’s what I suspect. He is a unique father in the worst possible ways. However, we were able to relate to something. The movie most likely has that in its DNA.

What attracted you to Del Toro, AP?

ANDERSON: If I had to name the film’s opening concept, it would be that face. It is a close-up of Benicio as this character, not a picture of the scene. His expression is simply fascinating and expressive. He has a distinct advantage. Just watching him on camera and his chemistry with the film exposure is incredibly captivating. Electric moments occurred on the set of “The French Dispatch.”. However, when we returned to the cutting room, the electricity was amplified. Things began to move. “Just be aware, there’s something else coming,” I told Benicio when we screened “The French Dispatch” in Cannes many years ago. “.”.

AP: Is that how you typically begin picturing a film? I can picture “Rushmore” opening with Murray’s face and a cigarette falling out of his mouth, “The Royal Tenenbaums” with Gene Hackman grinning, and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” with Ralph Fiennes serving as the concierge.

In essence, you’ve identified the films that were written for a particular actor, like Jason in “Asteroid City,” Anderson said. By the time we had ten pages of a script, Owen and I were discussing Gene Hackman. The character of Ralph in “Grand Budapest” was conceived before the first page was written. However, I’ve never dreamed of someone in such a close-up. It’s the face, the eyes, and the closest close-up in this film, somehow.

AP: Following Gene Hackman’s passing, Bill Murray and others discussed the difficult time on “The Grand Budapest Hotel” that he gave you. “”.

ANDERSON: To start with, one of the best actors in film history, Gene Hackman. Between the action and the cuts, I believe he did enjoy the film. “I have a good time at that point,” he said. But the majority of the time, he didn’t particularly enjoy the in-between portions. He wasn’t initially overly enamored with the script. The thought of being that guy didn’t seem to appeal to him. I believe he thought, “I don’t like a lot of things about this man, and I’m not sure I want to live like him.”. “.”.

And I was very young. Despite his tendency to become quite explosive, he was quiet and reserved. We didn’t have a close relationship. Our disagreements occasionally led to candid discussions about what transpired. And I thought that during those times, I had learned a great deal about him. Additionally, he would frequently become much kinder.

Since I doubt he would have ever used those words to describe our relationship (laughs), I don’t want to assume that we have a close friendship. But I thought he was great. He simply carried a lot of stress, which he used in his work, but at times, especially toward me, it almost seemed abusive. (laughs).

AP: Considering how well he plays the role, I find myself wondering if actors’ strongest performances are the ones they avoid.

ANDERSON: I believe that occasionally that is the case. He said to me after watching the film, “I didn’t understand what we were making.”. When he watched the film, however, he completely understood. For him, it succeeded. I believe he enjoyed what he had done, and he liked it. After three days of filming, I wished I had taken a break, carefully edited a few scenes, and then shown him: Here’s what you’re doing, and here’s what we’re doing. I believe that we might have had a more pleasant time if I had done that.

AP: You’ve had some success continuing to produce adult-oriented films, something that very few people can do. Do you worry about the changes in the industry, or are you content to stay away from them?

ANDERSON: I’m not sure if my career path as a film director is entirely viable at this time. I’m not sure whether the films I began producing would have been produced on the same scale, with the same backing, or with any audience. I simply don’t know the path that would lead me to the point where I can produce the films that I do now. I believe there have been some significant changes. But since I’m not twenty-five years younger than myself, I just go with my routine.

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