(Untitled) (2009)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Jonathan Parker

Writers:

Catherine DiNapoli (writer)
Jonathan Parker (writer)

Release Date:

23 October 2009 (USA)

Tagline:

Everyone's got an opinion.

Plot:

A Chelsea art gallerist falls for a brooding new music composer in this comic tale about the state of contemporary art.

Plot Keywords:

Untitled In Title | One Word Title

Cast

Adam Goldberg	...	Adrian Jacobs
Marley Shelton	...	Madeleine Gray
Eion Bailey	...	Josh Jacobs
Lucy Punch	...	The Clarinet
Vinnie Jones	...	Ray Barko
Zak Orth	...	Porter Canby
Ptolemy Slocum	...	Monroe
Michael Panes	...	Grant
Svetlana Efremova	...	Russian Singer
Marceline Hugot	...	Corporate Art Buyer
Janet Carroll	...	Helen Finkelstein
Ben Hammer	...	Morton Cabot
David Beach	...	Critic at Morton Cabot's Concert
David Cale	...	Critic at Adrian's Concert
Dean Wareham	...	Critic at Adrian's Concert

MPAA:

Rated R for language and nude images.

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45463)

Filming Locations:

Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Parker Film Company

Jonathan Parker Flips the Pretentious New York Art Scene on its Back

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