Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Directed by Banksy.

Six Stars.

View Trailer.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a different kind of movie. It claims to be “The world's first Street Art disaster movie.” It’s put forward as a documentary but some have questioned its authenticity. The film follows the story of Thierry Guetta a Franco-American who lives in Los Angeles. During the eighties, Thierry began filming everything in his life. Literally. Thierry never put the camera down and through familial ties he stumbled across and begins to document the emerging Street Art scene. His cousin is Space Invader, a French Street Artist famous for putting up mosaic pictures of characters from the famous Space Invaders game all over Paris. Thierry starts to go out at night with his cousin – when the majority of the Street Art occurs due to its legal status – and meets others in the movement. One thing leads to another. He meets Shepard Fairey (famous his Barack Obama "HOPE" poster) and follows him with his camera during his "André the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker period. All the while, Theirry continues filming under the guise of being a documentary filmmaker. Eventually, Thierry meets and becomes involved with the kingpin of Street Artists, Banksy, documenting the production and exposition of some of his works. As the narrative develops we observe Thierry growing more and more obsessive, envious, and desperate to emulate the success and acclaim of the people he follows. The results are well... disastrous. This is a very entertaining and oftentimes funny film. It was filmed all around the world wherever people were doing 'it.' Like I said, this is a very different kind of film. For the uninitiated, it will be a window into a new and exciting art genre. It’s an interesting account of the last 20 or so years in which this innovative form of social commentary, guerrilla marketing, and graffiti art has developed. It’s worth keeping in mind that this ‘documentary’ could simply be an extension of the Street Art movement; a joke on the viewer if you will. It’s difficult to say especially from outside of that scene. I suppose one should just keep that in mind when seeing this.