(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.

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.

For those with a knowledge of 20th century modern,and post modern art, this film is for you (and even if you know little about the above mentioned subject matter,this film is also for you---if you have an open mind to give it a chance). (Untitled)is a wry,sly,droll,tongue in cheek comedy about the art world & how art is/can be conceived. Adam Goldberg is Adrian Jacob,a composer who is a little too tightly wound for his own good (he almost always seems to be a walking bundle of seething rage that is threatening to explode at any moment). His music is generally atonal,harsh noise that most folk either walk out on (as evidence in the film's opening,which takes place at a sparsely attended concert of his work at a performance space in New York City,where the story takes place),or outright laugh at. His brother,Josh (played by Eion Bailey)is a successful artist. Both are attracted to Madeleine Gray (played by Marley Shelton),the owner of an uptown,posh art gallery that specializes in modern & post modern (conceptual)art that most folk regard as b.s. Jonathan Parker directs this breezy little comedy from a screenplay written by Parker & Catherine DiNapoli. Perhaps not a perfect film,but worth seeking out for those with interests that include new music (read that as experimental/noise/Avant Garde),Dadaist art (it makes sly,albeit submerged nods to the Fluxus art movement of the late 1950's/early 1960's),and gleefully thumbs it's nose at other denizens of the uptown & downtown art scenes in New York. Anybody who is/was a fan of either of the bands Luna or Galaxie 500,keep your eyes open for a cameo by Dean Wareham,who has a brief role as an art critic at one of Adrian's performances. My personal click to pick was a plum role by Lucy Punch,who is just credited as 'The Clarinet'(a fellow musician who played bass clarinet in Adrian's ensemble),but deserved far better. Rated 'R' by the MPAA for a rude word or two,some brief nudity,some rather tame sexual content & the view of a piece of art that can be regarded by some as pornographic.

"How do you deal with such idiotic criticism?"

(Untitled) is an absurd, entertaining mixture of a comedy, a romantic comedy, a drama, and a satire of the New York art scene (and some modern art in general, I suppose). It caught my eye because of the presence of Marley Shelton and Lucy Punch, two underrated and really hot actresses that I make a habit of checking out in every movie I can, but it turned out to be a worthwhile movie, beyond their presence.

The two main characters are Adrian (Adam Goldberg), a bohemian experimental musician (think kicking buckets and ripping paper), and Madeline (Marley Shelton), a gallery owner who sells the commercial work of Adrian's brother to keep her gallery open, while only allowing more avant-garde pieces to be shown there. Madeline finds herself drawn to Adrian's unconventional sensibilities, but conflict eventually arises between the two when Madeline's eccentric clients don't meet Adrian's ideas of what art should be. 

(Untitled) is funniest when showcasing the "artwork" of its supporting characters, including Ray Park as an artist who uses taxidermy in a unique way, and Zak Orth in a small but absolutely scene-stealing role. 

I think you probably have to be familiar with, or at least aware of, the modern art scene to see the appeal of (Untitled). It's not a hard film to get your head around, or anything like that, but it does get its humor from situations and jokes that may not have appeal for everyone. I thought it was quite amusing, though, and I recommend that anyone who finds the idea interesting, gives it a try.

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.