Pick of the week: “Listen Up Philip” (Amazon Prime) — My full review is here. Jason Schwartzman is hilariously awful as an arrogant young writer who finds that success only feeds and confirms his misanthropy in this acerbic comedy from Alex Ross Perry.
“Crash” (Netflix) — Okay, it should not have won Best Picture. But I still think this Paul Haggis hyperlinked drama has a lot to recommend it. It’s not supposed to be a movie about racism, but about how snap judgments and first impressions can lead us astray if we’re not careful.
“Beverly Hills Cop” (Netflix) — Director Martin Brest perfected the action-comedy with Eddie Murphy as a Detroit cop who comes to Los Angeles to investigate his partner’s death.
“Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” (Netflix) — You can almost smell Tom Tykwer’s sinister and seductive film about a young man (Ben Whishaw) obsessed with creating the perfect aroma, even if it means killing young women and stealing their scent.
“You Can Count on Me” (Netflix) — Kenneth Lonergan’s drama about estranged siblings — upstanding single mom Laura Linney and ne-er-do-well Mark Ruffalo — is closely observed and compassionate.