In Which You Will Know Adam Goldberg Even Before You Hear His Chimes

Revealing Art

by ALMIE ROSE

(Untitled)

dir. Jonathan Parker

96 minutes

Remember that guy in Annie Hall who comes up to Annie Hall at a party and says, “Touch my heart with your foot”? (Untitled) is like a movie about that guy. And his friends.

The guy in question is musician Adrian Jacobs, played with an expertly furrowed brow by Adam Goldberg. (Untitled) is funny and sharp about the art scene in New York and how ridiculous, yet heartbreaking, it can be. In any creative field it’s often a struggle trying to figure out where your next job is going to come from or even how to get your foot in the door. Sometimes it seems like everyone in the world is more successful than you are, and this angst is perfectly captured in Adam Goldberg’s tortured face. Tortured looks good on him; mark this film as the first time in history that I have ever been seriously attracted to this guy. One of the truest clichés there is is that brooding artists will always be sexy.

Bringing sexy to the table is Marley Shelton as gallery owner Madeleine Gray. Her skirts alone are like works of art.

Gray, in her audible skirts and vanity glasses, is a perfect representation of the Urban Outfitters generation. Here costumes and set design are purposeful clues – everything is there to reveal something about the characters. In Glamorama Bret Easton Ellis wrote, “The better you look, the more you see.” I couldn’t help but think of this maxim as I envied the impressive sculptural necklace Shelton’s character wears in her first scene. Adrian actually uses its sound for one of his clusterfuck musical works.

Madeleine is a shrewd woman; the kind of person who is too smart to reveal what she’s really thinking. This of course makes Adrian fall for her. “What did she do to catch your attention?” his female band member asks wistfully. Oh honey, I know, I’ve been there. Seeing (Untitled) is a good way to spend your time and practically a must if you went to The New School.

Almie Rose is the senior contributor to This Recording. She blogs here. In New York, (Untitled) is playing at the Angelika Film Center this week. In L.A. it's playing at Laemmie's Sunset 5.  

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