"Exit Through the Gift Shop"
Starring: Banksy, Thierry Guetta
Narrated by: Rhys Ifans
Directed by: Banksy
87 minutes
The beauty of the film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is how no one knows who the films joke is on, or even if there is a joke. The documentary starts by examining an eccentric French shopkeeper named Thierry Guetta. Obsessed with videotaping everything, Guetta gets involved with the lesser known counter culture of graffiti artists. Fascinated by their work, Guetta follows around several well known underground artists as they perform their work.
Becoming more and more involved in the scene, Guetta decides he'll make a documentary with the hundreds and hundreds of hours he has saved. His ultimate goal is to track down the infamous artist known as "Banksy." The film grows rather intriguing as Bansky happens to contact Guetta, after this interaction and subsequent friendship, the film grows from examining one man's obsession with the underground art world to an outrageous comedy, where the tables are turned on Guetta, as Banksy himself makes a documentary on Guetta.
That is the basic outline for the film, going any further and revealing the certain surprises and nuances would be a disservice to viewers who know little of the film. Thierry Guetta is the vessel who immediately gets the audience interested in the world of these underground artists. As the film opens, Guetta is a normal, identifiable guy with a family and an unusual passion, his journey over the years is an odd and hilarious head-shaker. One who doesn't have particular interest or knowledge on the culture will be intrigued in no time as the film informs, entertains, and ultimately makes us ponder the value and meaning of art, and whether beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder
The film grows even more fascinating after it concludes, the viewer is left wondering whether whey they just saw is real, or an elaborate hoax by the filmmaker and others involved. "Exit Through the Gift Shop," can't be missed for its perplexing nature and satirical tone.
Grade: 4.5/5
1 comment:
Agreed, knew nothing about the film going in and was pleasantly surprised. Banksy cleverly uses his enigmatic nature and Thierry's eccentric personality to "hype" street art into mainstream culture.
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