(Untitled)

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.

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.

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