(Untitled)

The movie titled "(Untitled)" is a small-scale non-commercial art film that makes fun of small, non-commercial art works – or, more precisely, those who produce, purchase or admire such works.

The story focuses on two brothers with widely differing views on art. Adrian (Adam Goldberg) is a composer whose idea of "music" is to bang away on an array of regular household items (a steel bucket being the predominant instrument in his "orchestra") resulting in an ear-splitting, atonal cacophony. Josh (Eion Bailey) is an abstract painter who's "sold out" by actually selling his works to corporate buyers, though he would now like to earn some respectability as an artist by having his own show. Madeleine (Marely Shelton) is a dealer who sells Josh's works to fund her own gallery of minimalist and conceptual art but who won't display his paintings there.

Written and directed by Jonathan Parker, "(Untitled)" offers some droll moments of offbeat humor, as it gently skewers the absurdity and self-congratulatory pretentiousness of the abstract-art world and the minions who inhabit it - though, if truth be told, there are times when the movie itself, with its minimalistic drama and lackluster storytelling, comes dangerously close to becoming the very thing it's satirizing. However, the art works themselves are cleverly and appropriately awful, and the movie has just enough knowing wryness to overcome its undernourished storytelling.

A Smart Movie that is Insightful and Entertaining as it Satirises the Avant-Garde Art World. Not a Fresh Idea to be sure but an always Welcome Debate about "Yes, but is it Art?". That Conundrum seems to be Forever with Us and it never really has an Easy Answer and it shouldn't because it is Purely Rhetorical.

Trying to Answer that Question is like trying to Answer "Why are we here?" or "What is the Meaning of life?" It is a Labyrinth of a Quest to attempt such Profound Inquiries.

Director Jonathan Parker is Articulate and Funny as He Dumbs Down the Dumb Work of these Creators and Their Creations and is Empathetic and enjoys Poking Fun at what He Loves. His Own Film Straddles the Line between Commercially Viable and Free Expression. A sort of a Combination of the Two on-screen Brothers.

Adam Goldberg as a Sound Artist that says "Harmony was a Capitalist plot to sell pianos.", and His Brother Aaron Bailey as a Painter who has Not Really Sold Out but His Paintings Do, to Corporations and Hotels.

The Film includes many Arty Characters that give this thing Pizazz. Marley Shelton as the Gallery Owner that is very Comfortable in Her own Fake Skin of a Noise inducing Wardrobe of Vinyl and Ruffles. Her Audible Attire attracts the Noise Conscious Sound Artist for a Romantic Interlude, but that is hardly the Story here.

There Hardly is a Story here but what is here is a parade of Amusing and Egotistical Artists that are Lively and Loving every minute of Their Expressionism. Just like the Creators of this Engaging Entry Into a very Weird World. The Movie is Not for All Tastes but that is the Point.

I hate starting a review by saying "this was a great concept, and I wished they'd done more with it," but I can't get away from thinking that. At times, it's a scathing and almost brilliant satire of modern art (and the patrons that drive it), but at some point it loses its way a bit, and potentially becomes a film that could be the subject of a satire about film satire.

I did love the contrast of Adrian-Josh... brothers who each long for recognition while being as polar opposite as two people can be... and appreciated the connection of both to Madeleine. But her attraction to Adrian was hard to fathom, and it's killer important to the story. (Perhaps toning down Adrian's arrogant sullenness, and the cringe-worthiness of his music a bit would have made his story and relationship with Madeleine more watchable?). And I admittedly loved the "art collector" who neither loves nor understands art, but sees it only as an investment and a write-off. Probably brutally on point (as was the pompous industrial artist ultimately done in by his own work).

In short... a visceral slap at the modern art scene... released in 2009 and now a timely watch in a year that gave us "The Menu" and "Triangle of Sadness," two new films that similarly skewer those with wealth and... ugh, "taste."

We saw this at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Adam Goldberg plays a composer whose music is as far from commercial or accessible as possible. His brother is a very commercially successful artist who longs for recognition by the art community. They are both attracted to Madeleine, the beautiful and smart owner of an art gallery, who understands the difference between the artistic and commercial worlds in both art and music. The two brothers use Madeleine as the pivot of their balance, as each tries to achieve what they desire - commercial success for one and artistic appreciation for the other. Set in the heart of the art scene in New York, this film has the ring of truth - from the artist with Asperger' who labors over where to hang his work (a single pushpin placed on a blank wall), to the rich, clueless art collector who buys work he doesn't understand and doesn't enjoy - merely because his spreadsheet says it's underpriced. The characters are portrayed with compassion - the director has thankfully resisted the temptation to turn them into easy caricatures. Highly recommended, especially if the viewer has an interest in the modern art or music scene.

With a hip young cast and original music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, this movie feels like a tried-and-true festival darling. Unfortunately, the picture wasn't given the chance to shine at Sundance. But fret not; (UNTITLED) (yes, there are parenthesis around the title, which is actually the word, "untitled") will see theatrical distribution in fall of 2009. The film enjoys a fast and lively pace, delivered by director Jonathan Parker (Bartelby), and the ensemble piece puts New York's contemporary art world under a high-intensity microscope. First, we've got Adrian, played by Adam Goldberg, who is a struggling experimental musician. He is the leader of a strange troupe of percussionists who produce a wild, cacophonous sound that I guarantee you've never heard before. Adrian's brother Josh is a commercial painter, played by Eion Bailey, whose pieces are sold to corporate clients. The shrewd and sexy gallerist Madeleine (portrayed perfectly by Marley Shelton) keeps Josh's paintings hidden in a seedy back room, selling them after-hours to fund the "real pieces" displayed on the showroom floor. These more "important" works of art, all custom-made for the production, are created by more forward-thinking creatives such as the taxidermist/artiste Ray Barko, who is played by the always-intense Vinnie Jones. Then there's the meticulous auteur Monroe, who was my favorite character in the film, played with frightening authenticity by Ptolemy Slocum. I'll just say this: I must have one of Monroe's pieces! As this entertaining little story unfolds, a light-hearted love triangle develops between Madeleine and the two brothers, and eventually everybody's using one another to get ahead in the cut-throat art world. In the end, commercial success, loyalty and artistic appreciation are all called into question. Throughout the movie, New York's artistic elite pepper the scenes, highlighted by snooty critics, sassy gallery owners and hip-yet-fickle patrons. Good acting all around, eye-catching costumes by Deirdre Wegner and great music by Lang add to the production value. (UNTITLED) is an entertaining and thought-provoking comedy for those who appreciate fine (and not so fine) art. SUGGESTION: Recommend