Tribeca Film has picked up North American distribution rights to the dark comedy Listen Up Philip starring Jason Schwartzman and Elisabeth Moss. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it was well-received by critics. Written and directed by Alex Ross Perry (Impolex and The Color Wheel), Listen Up Philip marks an impressive addition to the slate of the indie distributor. Just last May, Tribeca opened the critically admired Gia Coppola mood drama Palo Alto, with has since become the highest grossing feature in the distributor’s history. Tribeca will unveil Listen Up Philip on October 17, 2014, with a VOD release to follow four days later.
Listen Up Philip stars Schwartzman as Philip, a writer who is anxiously awaiting the publication of his second novel. Feeling withdrawn and outcast by his adopted city of New York and his on-the-ropes relationship with his girlfriend Ashley (Moss), Philip retreats to the summer house of his idol to reflect. The movie also stars Krysten Ritter (Veronica Mars, the upcoming Big Eyes), Jess Weixler (Teeth, the upcoming Eleanor Rigby), Dree Hemingway (Starlet) and Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.) The film earned strong reviews at Sundance for Perry’s writing and directing and the nuanced performances of the cast. Todd McCarthy in his Hollywood Reporter review called the film, “[An] indisputably talented work for its risk-taking, dark humor and barbed portraiture of creative individuals.”
The film marks one of the more dramatically straight roles of noted funny man Schwartzman, who has distinguished himself as part of the Wes Anderson troupe of actors since breaking through in the director’s 1998 comedy Rushmore opposite Bill Murray. Schwartzman recently was seen on screen in Saving Mr. Banks as Richard Sherman and in Anderson’s spring hit The Grand Budapest Hotel. Next up, he has supporting role in Tim Burton’s awards curiosity Big Eyes opposite Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. For Moss, who was recently seen in the penultimate season of Mad Men, Listen Up Philip was a part of a big breakout year at Sundance, where she also starred in the buzzed about romantic thriller The One I Love opposite Mark Duplass. The two eclectic performances, along with her Golden Globe-winning role in the 2013 mini-series Top of the Lake (from acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion), has shown there’s clearly far more to the actress beyond Peggy Olson.
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