Listen Up Philip is a depressing, 1980’s New York throwback that seeks to showcase a “miserable guy who makes the worst choice every time,” in a film that covers the “worst period of the lives for all the characters” involved. Oh, and it’s a distinctively shot, indie film starring Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce and Krysten Ritter. You should know right now whether or not you want to see it.

Listen Up Philip premiered at Sundance this past year, and was among the festival’s favorites, explaining its presence at Sundance’s Next Fest, a three day LA-based film festival with several other Sundance originated movies, all followed by Q&A’s with the filmmakers, actors and the filmmaker’s inspiration, a neat concept.

That meant that last week anyone was who in attendance at the gorgeous theatre at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles got to witness a conversation between writer-director Alex Ross Perry (The Color Wheel), star Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom) and author Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction).

Alex Ross Perry read American Psycho in High School and it blew his mind, and started his love of reading, which had been beaten down by school and being forced to read. From there, he read all of Bret Easton Ellis’ work, and the books he read and loved are his guiding force in the movies he enjoys making. This is clear with Listen Up Philip, a film that feels very much like a novel thanks to its shifting perspectives, narrator, and an authorial setting.

Listen Up Philip concerns the miseries of two different authors separated by generations, in the young Philip Lewis Friedman and the venerated Ike Zimmerman, and does so in such detail and authenticity, that it makes one wonder if Alex is an author himself. But no: he merely chose a creative occupation that was isolated. Since he knew nothing about painting, that meant these characters would be writers.

Jason Schwartzman was drawn to the project and the character because it appealed to him to “speak his mind” and play a character who (only) makes mistakes. That’s what was fun about playing the character, to him. It rubbed off on Jason, because in the middle of shooting, he considered mugging an annoying guy with a lot of keys in the city.

Bret Easton Ellis hailed the film as “unique” (as the moderator mentioned, these characters don’t ask for sympathy), complimenting its characters, and adeptly pointing out that Philip was like the dark side of Jonathan Ames from Bored to Death. He noted that the scenes with the publishers felt especially real, loved the authentic book jackets of Ike Zimmerman’s various novels (a favorite part of mine!), and he thought that perhaps Zimmerman’s character was based on Philip Roth. Any likenesses were accidental, as Alex mostly just wanted to play with the kind of characters that are able to “get away with anything,” while looking at the Norman Mailer generation of authors.

There were no computers or phones on the film (which only became problematic when shooting the scenes in the publishing office). Alex doesn’t understand the necessity of using technology in storytelling, and was most influenced by films of the 1980’s (or taking place in the 1980’s), like We Won’t Grow Old Together and Squid and the Whale, so he wanted to retain that look and feel.

Listen Up Philip is narrated by Eric Bogosian, adding another layer to its literary conceits. As Perry notes, it wasn’t voice over, but narration. He tried to use him only when it “enriched” the storyline and offered an opportunity to provide truth and more information to the proceedings. Alex wanted it to be essential, rather than gratuitous. I thought the Narrator provided some of the best moments in the film.

For pre-production, Jason Schwartzman went to New York three weeks early to get to know Alex, as they went to book stores together, and went on adventures. How awesome is that? That’s the kind of work I want to do: become friends with people.

While it was oft-remarked how awful these characters are, Bret actually had some sympathy for these characters in the end (I did for Ritter and Moss’ characters, but that was likely intentional). Ellis doesn’t see Listen Up Philip as a blanket criticism of writers, just these two particular characters.

Alex argues that the film isn’t about writers, but about lonely men and what makes someone miserable. He uses that prism to look at two men and how they affect other people.

When asked how he was able to secure financing from a film that was presumably a tough sell, Alex was uncomfortable in answering. Then he admitted that they found a rich European guy (of course), who doesn’t see things in black or white. Alex lauded him as being a part of a more intelligent culture, clearly a dig at Hollywood and maybe everyone in the audience.

Production on the film took 25 days, which is impressive considering LUP had 45 locations and 70 speaking parts. The cast and crew took 5 weeks off in the middle of the shoot so they could get a more autumnal New York feel for two days.

Then it became time to gush about the actors not present, in Jonathan Pryce, an actor Schwartzman had always admired, and Elisabeth Moss, who was universally beloved. She was lauded as “relaxed, casual, seamless, amazing.” The compliments were well-deserved for both of them. The best moment of the entire film is this INCREDIBLE moment when Philip leaves Ashley alone in their, now her, apartment, and the camera stays on her face for what feels like minutes, and her character runs the gauntlet of emotions, displaying how conflicted and complex her character is. I actually gasped out loud.

Alex wondered if Bret got to meet his heroes. “The only good thing about being well known” is that you get to meet people, and your heroes. Alex admits to being fascinated by the connectivity of people with communities, and how those connections and meetings are made, a theme in Listen Up Philip.

Bret was quite complimentary of the film throughout the evening, calling Perry’s outlook refreshing, because it wasn’t “earnest or sentimental.”

Perry mentions that his editor told him this “movie can only be made by a young man,” to which he and Ellis agree: that’s what makes it work.

Alex found it exciting to write characters that affect characters in their absence, like switching perspectives in a novel. The movie is ostensibly all Philip’s, but actually Ike and Elisabeth Moss’ character (Ashley Kane) each get their own narrative threads from their own POV. At first it’s almost jarring, and out of place, but they’re some of the best parts of the movie, because it means more Pryce and Moss.

In talking about Bret’s motivations to write, he admits that he “doesn’t feel pressured to write,” that he writes when he wants to, primarily during emotional times

In response to the “look” of the film (the movie has no blue or reds), Alex admits that he wanted to make “the next great brown movie.” He wants to live in that world. And for 108 minutes, the audience gets to.

Listen Up Philip isn’t an easy movie, and honestly, I didn’t enjoy it. It’s filled with hateful, vindictive, awful people, and the proceedings feel pretentious. But I definitely appreciated the filmmaking craft and attention to detail that went into making the film, as Alex Ross Perry is clearly a burgeoning and worthwhile voice in the industry. LUP is also worth watching solely for the performances, as Schwartzman, Pryce and Moss are at the top of their considerable games. I love Krysten Ritter, and she’s also great, but she’s the only character who felt undeveloped, and under-used, as out of place in the movie as her character was in the world she unfortunately found herself in.

Before I begin, I just want to clarify: this isn’t a list of portrayals of actual presidents in films. You’re not going to see Daniel Day-Lewis’ Abraham Lincoln or Frank Langella’s Richard Nixon, or the 53 actors who have played JFK. These are all fake presidents, which should be abundantly clear.

This is specifically for MOVIE presidents. Fictional TV presidents would be an entirely different list, but if you must know, it would have Martin Sheen’s President Bartlet at #2, AFTER Laura Roslin of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, because I’m the worst. David Palmer of 24/Allstate would be 3rd place.

Many old men in Hollywood have practically made a career of playing the POTUS. If you’re a grizzled character actor with a nice clump of white hair and you ooze authority, you’ve likely played the thankless role of a president in a film.

Ronny Cox  (above) wins the award for most portrayals, with four, including the craptacular 1990 CAPTAIN AMERICA, MARTIANS GO HOME, MURDER AT 1600 and NADIA’S PROMISE. Since MARTIANS GO HOME came out in 1989, he’s played a President in 4 different decades, and is still doing it. NADIA’S PROMISE came out this year.

JAWS’ Roy Scheider played the President three separate times. As did Gregory Harrison. Stanley Anderson (Michael Bay’s first call, for ARMAGEDDON and THE ROCK), Henry Fonda, Louis Gossett Jr., Sam Waterston, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Coyote, Jonathan Pryce and David Rasche have each played a POTUS twice on the big screen.

TRIVIA TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS: Jeff and Beau Bridges aren’t the coolest sibling duo who have both played presidents. That award goes to Dennis and Randy Quaid. Dennis for AMERICAN DREAMZ…

Whereas Randy Quaid had the country in the palm of his hands in the classic MAIL TO THE CHIEF. The movie came out in 2000, six years before Dennis ever sniffed the oval office.

14 years ago, Randy Quaid was playing the President in Disney movies and I thought I’d play for the Kentucky basketball team. Life’s weird. Speaking of…

…Charlie Sheen was the President in MACHETE KILLS.

Eric Roberts was the head of state in FIRST DOG. I don’t want to look that movie up to shatter the illusion of what it is in my head (AIR BUD + White House).

Terry Crews was the President in IDIOCRACY. His name was Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho.

Robert Rodriguez’s SPY KIDS movies didn’t fuck around. In the second film, Shooter McGavin himself played the President. Then they took a step down in SPY KIDS 3-D, opting for a little guy named George Clooney:

Lame. Far superior was the fake but judicious U.S. population who elected Jack Nicholson to the White House, right before the world became under siege by aliens in MARS ATTACKS!

Is Jack not exactly who we want making the all-important decisions for our country?

PRESIDENT THAT WON’T SNIFF MY BALLOT:

Chris Rock as Mays Gilliam in HEAD OF STATE (2003). I just hate this movie. Maybe I’m just mad that I actually paid to see this one in theaters.

HANGING CHADS/SNUBS (in no particular order):

Michael Douglas (THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, a redundant title), Kevin Kline (DAVE), John Travolta (PRIMARY COLORS), Alan Alda (CANADIAN BACON), Tim Robbins (AUSTIN POWERS 2: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME), Henry Fonda (FAIL SAFE), Jeff Bridges (THE CONTENDER) and Stephen Colbert (MONSTERS VS. ALIENS). Yeah, I blew it.

5. Billy Bob Thornton as the President, LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)

Billy Bob Thornton exudes sleaze and a stinky odor that can only be described as pure, unadulterated America in the brilliant British romcom. It’s a master stroke of casting, as arrogance and charm seep out of Billy Bob’s pores in this small role. He’s inappropriate with Hugh Grant/the Prime Minister’s squeeze, he’s a bully, presumably a philandering alcoholic, and he’s exactly what the Brits and the rest of the world think of American politicians. And they’re probably right.

I’d still vote for Billy Bob Thornton in a heartbeat.

4. Morgan Freeman as President Tom Beck, DEEP IMPACT (1998)

James Earl Jones delivered the first depiction of a black president in THE MAN (1972), although Sammy Davis Jr. dreamed of being the black president as a 7 year old in RUFUS JONES FOR PRESIDENT (1933). You could make a convincing argument that 24, DEEP IMPACT and other pop culture entries featuring black actors as the President paved the way for Barack Obama. It shouldn’t have required that, but Morgan Freeman’s portrayal in DEEP IMPACT might be one of the most influential of its kind. It doesn’t get any more regal, comforting, stately and presidential than “The Voice.”

Like in life, when everything seems lost, or when humanity is on the brink, we need heroes the most. Or at least, that’s what the movies teach us, and in DEEP IMPACT, a comet could destroy the planet. Leave it to Morgan Freeman and his voice to soothe our worries, and lead the way.

3. Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley, DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)

In Stanley Kubrick’s hilarious black comedy about the Cold War, nuclear paranoia and the folly of politics, Peter Sellers gets a new high score. He plays three of the main characters, including the titular Dr. Strangelove, a maniacal mad-scientist role that overshadows his Captain Mandrake and…the President.

In DR. STRANGELOVE, Sellers’ President is shocked to discover that the U.S. has ordered a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, without his permission. He finds himself in an impossible situation, amid a sea of incompetent and unruly advisers in the war room, while not exactly the brightest man himself.

Here are two classic scenes from the movie, though it’s one of those movies where every scene is famous:

2. Harrison Ford as President James Marshall, AIR FORCE ONE (1997)

In the 1990’s, we wanted a President who could kick ass and murder with the best of them. Leave it to Harrison Ford to bring the badass to the Oval Office, as he turns the President (an ex-soldier) into a 90’s action hero in Wolfgang Peterson’s AIR FORCE ONE. It’s honestly one of Ford’s best roles, as he takes down a malicious Gary Oldman and his ring of terrorists WHILE IN FLIGHT. He also delivers arguably the best line from a Fictional Movie President, in a way that only Ford could:

This list will not go quietly into the night…

1. Bill Pullman as President Thomas J. Whitmore, INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)

There are no words, especially when Bill Pullman stole them all, in probably the greatest movie speech ever:

All of the goosebumps.