(Untitled)
(Untitled)
R | 25 October 2009 (USA)
(Untitled) Trailers

A fashionable contemporary art gallerist in Chelsea, New York falls for a brooding new music composer in this comic satire of the state of contemporary art.

Reviews
rleegray-569-58158

I felt the film dealt well with its point of satire of what is and isn't art. But I think the film missed out on the plot or the story. In trying to or seeming to try to poke fun at the art world, it missed out on a great opportunity to reveal more about its characters and especially in playing up the rivalry between the brothers. The film wasn't bad and it was saved by very competent actors, but could have been so much more.

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Roland E. Zwick

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.

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lewiskendell

"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.

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hansfeuer

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

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