I think I have finally figured out Wes Anderson.

He doesn’t make films.

He makes dioramas.

And then he films them.

By definition, a diorama is “a three-dimensional representation of a scene, often created in miniature and displayed in a box or case. They can be used for various purposes, including educational displays, hobby building, and museum exhibits.”

To which, I would add “and for making films, especially Wes Anderson films.”

Toward the conclusion of “The Phoenician Scheme,” there’s a diorama of a proposed project by Anatole Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), complete with a tower, working waterfall and model train moving along a track.

As Korda addresses an assembly at the podium, he suddenly exits and gets into a crazy tussle with Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch, wearing one of the worst fake beards known to cinema). Korda reappears at the microphone. Uncle Nubar pops up from behind the diorama. There’s an explosion. The diorama is blown apart.

At that point, the film blew up, too. Or, at least, it did for me.

Why or how or what happened, I can’t explain, nor can I make sense of much of anything in “The Phoenician Scheme.”

That’s OK. You expect obfuscation in and from a Wes Anderson film. Part of the fun is trying to figure it out. Even if you don’t understand what’s going on, you can sit back and enjoy the spectacular visuals, lovely costumes, wonderfully whimsical sets, oddball characters, ridiculous situations and symphonic soundtrack in “The Phoenician Scheme.”

Wes Anderson is nothing if not idiosyncratic. He’s perversely stylish, even to film-making technique and presentation. He frames his films in unusual aspect ratios. The common aspect ratio for movies is the 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 format.

Anderson uses the 1.37:1 format in “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014) and “The French Dispatch” (2021) and the 1.37:1 format and 2.39:1 format in “Asteroid City” (2023). “The Phoenician Scheme” uses an aspect ratio of 1.48:1. The image is wider than it is tall, but not as wide as the typical widescreen format of 2.39:1.

The boxy format serves well a diorama. And it serves well Wes Anderson, who gets to play in the diorama, moving the pieces around, including the actors, as if he’s grandmaster in a three-dimensional game of chess. Wes Anderson’s films (including “The Royal Tenenbaums,” 2001; “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” 2004; “Moonrise Kingdom,” 2012) are nothing if not a game, usually a puzzle. He’s the puzzle master.

In “The Phoenician Scheme,” the actors mostly recite the dialogue in a deadpan style and staccato pace to each other with the camera switching back and forth between the two characters, or with a character in direct address to the camera. The effect is that of eavesdropping, as if the movie-goer is privy to scenes of family or business or family business.

And what a cast to eavesdrop on.

In addition to Benicio Del Toro (Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda, a business tycoon), there’s Mia Threapleton (Sister Liesl, Korda’s daughter) and Michael Cera (Bjørn Lund, a Norwegian entomologist).

The three actors have the majority of the screen time, with Bencio Del Toro in nearly every scene. Bencio Del Toro (Oscar, supporting actor, “Traffic,” 2001) carries the film handily.

Mia Threapleton is a fascinating presence. Michael Cera is winsomely goofy.

The supporting cast includes Tom Hanks (Leland, an investor), Bryan Cranston (Reagan, Leland’s business partner), Jeffrey Wright (Marty, an investor), Scarlett Johansson (Cousin Hilda), Benedict Cumberbatch (Uncle Nubar, Korda’s estranged half-brother), Riz Ahmed (Prince Farouk, crown prince of Phoenicia), Willem Dafoe (Knave, Korda’s heavenly defense attorney), F. Murray Abraham (Prophet) and Bill Murray (God).

Most of the supporting cast have roles that are not much more than cameos.

Why is the film titled “The Phoenician Scheme,” you might ask.

Phoenicia was an ancient civilization where Lebanon, Syria and portions of Israel are now. The country’s inhabitants were known as the Phoenicians.

Apparently, in the screenplay he wrote based on a story he wrote with Roman Coppola, Wes Anderson didn’t want the film, its characters or subject material to be particularly objectionable.

“The Phoenician Scheme” takes place in a mythical earthly world and a mythical heavenly world, the latter reminiscent of the movie, “A Matter of Life and Death” (1946).

Cinematographer is Bruno Delbonnel (six Oscar nominations).

Anderson is again working with Production Designer Adam Stockhausen (Oscar, production design, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” 2015).

Composer is Alexandre Desplat (Oscars: original score, “The Shape of Water, 2018; original score, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” 2015). The soundtrack includes “Herz und Mund und Tat und Lieben,“ Cantata BWV 147, by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Karl Richter, Munich Bach Choir.

“The Phoenician Scheme” will be of chief interest to fans of Wes Anderson, the ensemble cast and quirky film-making.

“The Phoenician Scheme,” MPAA PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13) for violent content, bloody images, some sexual material, nude images, and smoking throughout; Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama Run Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes. Distributed by Focus Features.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “The Phoenician Scheme” was filmed March to June 2024 at Babelsberg Studio, Germany.

At The Movies: “The Phoenician Scheme” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, June 20 - 22: “How to Train Your Dragon” continued at No. 1 two weeks in a row, $37 million in 4,373 theaters, $160.4 million, two weeks, as director Danny Boyle’s zombie horror sequel, “28 Years Later” opened at No. 2 with $30 million in 3,444 theaters, and “Elio,” a Pixar Animation Studios science-fiction feature, opened at No. 3 with $21 million in 3,750 theaters.

4. “Lilo & Stitch” dropped two places, $9.7 million in 3,375 theaters, $386.7 million, five weeks. 5. “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” dropped one place, $6.5 million in 2,603 theaters, $178.3 million, five weeks. 6. “Materialists” dropped three places, $5.8 million in 2,844 theaters, $23.9 million, two weeks. 7. “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” dropped two places, $4.5 million in 2,537 theaters, $51.1 million, three weeks. 8. “Karate Kid: Legends” dropped two places, $2.4 million in 2,006 theaters, $49.4 million, four weeks. 9. “Final Destination: Bloodlines” dropped two places, $1.8 million in 1,342 theaters, $134.8 million, six weeks. 10. “Kuberaa,” an India crime thriller, $1.7 million in 500 theaters, opening. 11. “The Phoenician Scheme” dropped three places, $1.4 million in 1,101 theaters, $16.2 million, four weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of June 22 is subject to change.

Unreel, June 27:

“F1: The Movie,” PG-13: Joseph Kosinski directs Brad Pitt, Kerry Condon, Damson Idris and Javier Bardem in the Motorsport Action Drama. A Formula One racing car drive comes out of retirement to mentor a younger driver.

“M3GAN 2.0,” PG-13: Gerard Johnstone directs Allison Williams, Jemaine Clement and Violet McGraw in the AI Horror film. M3GAN is back and more dangerous than ever.

Movie opening information from Internet Movie Database as of June 22 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes