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Listen Up Philip

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Listen Up Philip
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlex Ross Perry
Written byAlex Ross Perry
Produced by
  • James M. Johnston
  • Toby Halbrooks
  • David Lowery
  • Katie Stern
  • Joshua Blum
Starring
CinematographySean Price Williams
Edited byRobert Greene
Music byKeegan DeWitt
Production
companies
Distributed byTribeca Films
Release dates
  • January 20, 2014 (2014-01-20) (Sundance)
  • October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Greece[2]
LanguageEnglish
Box office$200,126[3]

Listen Up Philip is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Alex Ross Perry.[4][5] The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2014, and won the Special Jury Prize at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival.[6][7]

Plot

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Philip is an acclaimed but abrasive young writer waiting for the publication of his second novel. He feels bored of his daily life and his shaky relationship with photographer girlfriend Ashley. In all of this chaos, his idol, veteran novelist Ike Zimmerman, offers him accommodation at his summer home, an isolated place where he might find peace.

Cast

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Reception

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Listen Up Philip received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 85% based on 122 critics, with an average rating of 7.58/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "As thought provoking as it is uncompromising, Listen Up Philip finds writer-director Alex Ross Perry taking a creative step forward while hearkening back to classic neurotic comedies of (19)70s cinema".[8] On Metacritic, it has an average score of 76% based on reviews from 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]

Scott Foundas of Variety, in his review said that "Jason Schwartzman shines as a self-absorbed writer who doesn't quite learn the error of his ways in Alex Ross Perry's sharp and darkly funny third feature."[10] Todd McCarthy in his review for The Hollywood Reporter praised the film by saying that "[An] indisputably talented work for its risk-taking, dark humor and barbed portraiture of creative individuals."[11] Richard Brody of The New Yorker, praised the film by saying that "I can't think of a recent movie that stages with as much joy and wonder the sense of living a life that becomes, directly or obliquely, in action or in idea, the stuff of art."[12] Sam Fragoso in his review for RogerEbert.com said that "Alex Ross Perry's third feature film is his most narratively satisfying and intellectually demanding one, demonstrating a maturation in both style and substance."[13] Rodrigo Perez of Indiewire, graded the film A− and said that "A deeply misanthropic portrait of narcissism, the brittle nature of artistic talent and the struggles of living in New York City, this toxic comedy pulls very few punches when it needs to get really nasty."[14]

The A.V. Club's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky called it "a howlingly funny black comedy with really sharp teeth", going on to say: "Writing pithy wisecracks is easy. What Perry does is write banter that reveals his character's insecurities and weaknesses; [...] There's a level of criticism at play in the film, which immediately sets it apart from similarly set New York art-world horror stories, but it doesn't cancel out the writer-director's clear empathy for his characters, who never quite manage to empathize with each other. This sort of mature perspective is a rare thing, and Listen Up Philip establishes Perry as a major talent."[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Listen Up Philip (15)". British Board of Film Classification. March 24, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "Listen Up Philip (2014)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  3. ^ "Listen Up Philip (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. January 29, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  4. ^ "Hot Sundance Trailer: 'Listen Up Philip'". January 17, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  5. ^ "Sundance 2014: Jason Schwartzman channels a jerk in 'Listen Up Philip' -- EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS". Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  6. ^ "Sundance 2014: The Next <=> Lineup". January 10, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  7. ^ "Sundance 2014: Elisabeth Moss tells Jason Schwartzman he's impossible to live with in 'Listen Up Philip' trailer". Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  8. ^ "Listen Up Philip (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  9. ^ "Listen Up Philip Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  10. ^ "Film Review: 'Listen Up Philip'". February 11, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  11. ^ "Listen Up Philip: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. January 28, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  12. ^ "THE ROTHIEST MOVIE AT SUNDANCE". The New Yorker. January 27, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  13. ^ "SUNDANCE REPORT: "LISTEN UP PHILIP" AND "THE BETTER ANGELS"". January 23, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  14. ^ "Sundance Review: Terrific & Remarkable 'Listen Up Philip' Starring Jason Schwartzman & Elisabeth Moss". January 22, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  15. ^ "Jason Schwartzman goes tragically toxic in the great Listen Up Philip". The A.V. Club. October 16, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
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