(Untitled) (2009)

(Untitled) is a sly, sharply observed New York romance that doubles as a wickedly funny send-up of the contemporary art world, where taste is currency and sincerity can feel like a liability. Jonathan Parker’s writing has the confidence to be smart without being smug, letting the laughs come from recognizably human vanities and the quiet panic behind cool-gallery poise. Adam Goldberg brings prickly intensity to a composer who can’t (or won’t) compromise, while Marley Shelton gives the film its beating heart as a gallerist caught between desire, ambition, and aesthetic ideals; the sound design, fittingly, makes the city and the music feel alive. If you enjoy talky, urbane comedies with real emotional stakes and a satirical bite, it’s a treat—though anyone allergic to insider art-scene banter may find it a little too close to the gallery wall.

(Untitled) wants to skewer the contemporary art world while doubling as a messy, romantic rivalry story, and you can see the ambition in how it pits “pure” creativity against market success. The problem is the satire often lands with a thud, leaning on familiar art-versus-commerce talking points and characters who can feel more self-absorbed than sharply observed. When it shifts into heavier drama, the pacing can turn a bit tedious, as if the film starts taking its own cleverness for granted. Still, if you enjoy low-key indie relationship tangles and New York art-scene vibes more than actual comedic bite, there’s enough atmosphere and committed performances to make it a passable watch.