'(Untitled)' Skillfully Paints Impressions of Love, Modern Art

What is art? Is it stuffed raccoons hanging from chandeliers? Maybe a lone thumbtack? Or moreover, who is even allowed to answer these quires? Director Jonathan Parker's "(Untitled)" poses these ever-unanswered questions surrounding the state of modern art as it mocks its creators, curators, collectors and critics.

This comedic tale follows a love triangle between gallery owner Madeline (Marley Shelton), avant-garde composer Adrian (Adam Goldberg) and his abstract painter brother Josh (Eion Bailey). However, as the story unfolds, it's less about love and more about the complications of self-expression in an art world based on exclusivity, absurdity and pretension. The film shows that artists themselves are confused about the line where music becomes noise and art installations become a joke. Deciding who's the rightful judge becomes a challenging, sometimes hurtful journey for all involved.

The primary mode of the film is satire. Even eerie moments are purposely contrived: In a recurring scene of Adrian's window, we get his first person view of a worn plastic bag stuck in the tangled branches of a creepy tree, struggling to break free with the wind. The script cleverly stereotypes various troubled geniuses and their followers: the neurotic, the intuitive, the arrogant, the socially awkward, the poser and the completely misled. Each one pokes fun at the self-involved preposterousness of modern art, and the actors hilariously embody the innate hypocrisy.

In one blatant jab, Madeline asks Adrian what he thinks of a canvas in her loft that reads "No you shut the fuck up," he replies by saying "I can relate to the words." While many characters' collections, creations, wardrobes or belief systems are completely out of touch with reality, they are right in tune with today's efforts to make a statement in the creative world. These avatars are ridiculous but believable; absurd is so in right now.

Goldberg's character struggles most of all with his stance on conformity. He wishes for success but refuses to go mainstream. His obsession with sound is a key element throughout the movie's content and its presentation. The squeaks and thuds of Madeline's wardrobe mirror Adrian's atonal compositions. And the soundtrack is just as fittingly haphazard, with stretches of awkward silence followed by crash noise. But moments of melody are paired well with scenes of more harmonious interaction, like a passionate kiss between Madeline and Adrian. Despite their chemistry, Adrian will not give up his artistic convictions for his love life, just like he won't trade commercial success for authenticity in his music.

The category of romantic comedy may be misleading since there isn't much romance. But there are a couple of hot make-out scenes and a multitude of jokes. I suppose you could call it an occasionally-really-sexy-but-ultimately-romantically-depraved comedy. The film is more about self-serving pursuits than mutual ones. It cautions that mixing business with pleasure always ends badly because that line between professional and personal is easily misunderstood. And in this case, conflicting artistic visions only complicate the love triangle.

The harsh reality of being judged in combination with unmet expectations devastates the characters but lead to their realization of what's really important to them and no one else. Underneath the satire and pessimism the film may be saying "be yourself and happiness will follow," because art is firstly a very personal experience, and as soon as you compromise your vision or morals to please someone else you lose what matters. So forget about the condescending critics, curators, and other artists. Do what feels right: kick buckets, string pearls on stuffed cows, do something and nothing, and title the untitled.