Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) Review

I went into this film not knowing exactly what to expect - for one thing I had very little interest in the topic of Street Art, but I'd read an article about Banksy in the WSJ a while back and the film was recommended by a couple of friends. I'm glad I gave it a chance, as Exit Through the Gift Shop is a brilliant, hilarious, entertaining, and thought provoking documentary, or mockumentary - I'm not sure which. The film style reminds me of This Is Spinal Tap [Blu-ray] and Where's Marlowe?, although it's better done and funnier than both.

The characters are unforgettable - Banksy, who's face and voice are disguised, serves as a narrator of sorts and is the true mastermind behind the entire experiment. Banksy is excellent, but the star of the show is Thierry Guetta, a Frenchman who sets out to make a documentary on Street Art. I do not believe in narrating the story in my reviews due to spoiling the plot, but suffice it to say that Thierry has an overabundance of energy and passion for his work and the art he pursues but he lacks the organization and formal training (i.e. proper editing, narration) to produce a refined final work. Thierry's character is a classic underdog - a clueless yet talented (in some respects) dreamer that the audience can't help but root for. When Banksy and Thierry finally meet, Banksy turns the tables and Thierry the documenter becomes the documented, with hilarious results.

Exit Through the Gift shop is extremely funny - laugh out loud funny, from beginning to end. But unlike most comedies, Exit Through the Gift Shop actually asks a thought provoking question - What is Art? I'm not quite sure how to formulate my answer at this point, and the film certainly demands a second viewing, but through Thierry and the challenge he's set upon Bansky does an incredible job of framing the question.

I mentioned at the beginning of this review I didn't have much interest in the subject matter of Street Art, and moreover when I saw the film I dragged with me a friend and his wife who had even less interest than I. They went in with sort of a "really Adam, what are you getting us into?" attitude (along with 4th who went much more willingly) ... at the end of the film the four of us looked at each other and simultaneously mouthed "wow". I haven't done any research on the film after the fact and honestly I can't tell you how much of this "documentary" is staged/preplanned/hoax and how much is real (my guess is something in the middle), but either way it was well worth the price of admission.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is excellent - hilarious, thought provoking, and most importantly it includes original and genuinely likable characters. Whether you're interested in Street Art or into the "indie" film scene or not, this one is worth buying, and I say that as someone who doesn't buy very many DVDs/Bluray in the age of netflix.

Five stars.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) Overview

It wouldn't be in character for British street artist Banksy to reveal all, even in a film about his work--nor would it be legally prudent. Instead, the elusive stencil-master, face concealed via hoodie, shines a light on amateur documentarian Thierry Guetta. Based in Los Angeles, the French-born bon vivant films everything. On a trip to Paris, he follows his cousin Space Invader around as he affixes his video-game mosaics to walls throughout the city. As he says in retrospect, "I liked the danger." A vintage clothing shop proprietor, he decides he's found his new calling and returns to record other artists, like Shepard Fairey, who found fame through his Orwellian "Obey" image, which features André the Giant (Fairey later designed Obama's "Hope" portrait). Through Fairey, Guetta meets Banksy, whose visage remains a mystery. Guetta captures him in his studio, on the streets, and during preparations for his "Barely Legal" exhibit, at which Brad Pitt and Jude Law make appearances, but things fall apart after an ill-fated trip to Disneyland, where Banksy pulls a stunt that references Guantánamo Bay. Afterward, he encourages the videographer to mount his own show, which yields unexpected results. If it seems as if Banksy is making fun of Guetta, he mostly holds a mirror up to hipsters who'll fall for anything deemed cool (like this film). Narrated by Rhys Ifans, Exit preserves Banksy's anonymity while biting the hand that feeds--with wit and humor. --Kathleen C. Fennessy