(Untitled)

This is a very funny film, in my opinion, very strange at the first glance and really independent in all senses. I have always been liked such humor, which lies not on the surface, and in order that to understand its, you should have certain creative imagination and pure soul, not damaging modern teenage comedies. Though my soul is not clean exactly, I enthralled this movie.In this movie there is a very important question "What is really art currently?" We so often pronounce the words "genius", "masterpiece", but many people absolutely not understand true value and sense these words. Very nice and surprisingly for me had been to see amazing performance by always brutal Vinnie Jones in absolutely not typical role for him.

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.

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."

An hilarious, critical and yet respectful view of modern art, "(Untitled)" is an indie film that takes on the contemporary music and visual art scene of New York.

Adam Goldberg is perfectly cast as Adrian, a slightly neurotic but completely out-there "musician". First to his detriment, but then more to his success, his brother Josh (Eion Bailey) introduces him to Madeleine (Marley Shelton), an art gallery owner who is against the commercial stream but can find the next big thing. Josh is the only remotely down-to-Earth character, but even his art looks like blobs of colour on a canvas--to the untrained eye like mine. The "music" that takes over the film is what people like me would call noise, but people like Adrian would call a true artistic expression of the human condition.

It is less accessible than "Art School Confidential" (2006), but just as funny and more focused on the indie art scene. Like one of the artists in the film, I think the film is trying to say nothing and everything at the same time, and just like modern art can be, "(Untitled)" is just plain weird.

First of all this movie is not a comedy. Yes, there's a lot of irony and some funny scenes but don't expect a "light" movie because it's not. The subject is not about art per se but rather on the creation, exploitation and fruition of art. I think that the way this movie handles the subject is very refreshing and it hasn't been done before. In my opinion the last part leaves a bit to be desired in terms of character and story development but nothing that ruins the movie. There's also a lot of great music if you are into avant-garde and contemporary music, especially in the second part of the movie. Highly recommended to anyone but in particular to people who are involved in some sort of creative process.