Overview
When Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch flickered across the silver screen, a visit to Cinema Nova in Carlton came with a bonus: seeing art by Moses Rosenthaler, the character played by Benicio del Toro (Reptile), gracing the picture palace's walls among other odes to the feature. Jump forward four years and the movie haven is again paying tribute to a collaboration between Anderson and del Toro. The writer/director and the Oscar-winning actor have reteamed on The Phoenician Scheme, and this Melbourne cinema has also made the flick the focus of its latest bar makeover.
Cinema Nova hasn't just revamped its watering hole for The French Dispatch and The Phoenician Scheme's respective releases. Asteroid City, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs: they all earned the same treatment. Consider it a Melbourne-only gift to the filmmaker's fans from one of the city's go-to spots to catch a movie — and one that keeps coming back in new guises.
Of course, Anderson's meticulous aesthetic already immerses his audiences. Cinema Nova is just taking the Academy Award-recipient's (for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) lead, then. Decor-wise, the venue's bar has scored a Levantine-meets-post-modern temporary revamp, complete with nods to Marseille Bob's (Mathieu Almaric, A Private Life) nightclub and Zsa-zsa Korda's (del Toro) bathroom. The glow-up's references will obviously make more sense once you've seen the film, but stepping into Anderson's vibe works both before and after viewing.
Other touches include posters for the flick, news clippings about about Korda, movie stills, a basketball hoop on the back of a train and literally hopping into the tub. For refreshments, the menu spans cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, tea and snacks, with the booze on offer from midday and happy hour running from 4–6pm Monday–Thursday.
If you're heading to catch the movie, which follows a wealthy businessman's attempt to reunite with his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton, The Buccaneers) and enact a scheme that'll ensure his fortune, this is clearly the perfect accompaniment. That said, dropping by just because from 10am–9pm daily is also an option.
An end date for this The Phoenician Scheme wonderland hasn't yet been announced; however, it'll be here for a good time, not a long time, so take that into account for your next Anderson IRL fix.
Find Cinema Nova's latest bar takeover at 380 Lygon Street, Carlton — open from 10am–9pm daily.
The Phoenician Scheme opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Read our interview with Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera.
Images: Fiona Hamilton.