Independent provocateur Alex Ross Perry casts a jaundiced eye on New York artists and intellectuals in this comedy about a narcissistic, self-righteous author and the people he alienates.
Jason Schwartzman, in his best role since Rushmore, stars as Philip Lewis Friedman, a selfabsorbed author who lives his life solely focused on himself, much to the dismay of his long-suffering girlfriend, played by a spot-on Elisabeth Moss. The only person whom Philip grants a modicum of attention is his literary hero, Ike Zimmerman, played by Jonathan Pryce as an obvious surrogate for author Philip Roth.
Perry has crafted an extremely literate film, not just by setting his tale in the world of book tours, celebrity interviews and writers’ retreats, but also in how he approaches his narrative. Breaking up his story into segments, shifting the focus from one character to another and utilizing a wry narration by Eric Bogosian, Perry directs with a unique vision that makes Listen Up Philip one of the most acerbically funny films in recent memory.
Philadelphia Film Festival
Please note that the festival is over 18s only
