Exit Through the Gift Shop

I made the mistake of watching this brilliant film without first checking out its background as to who the main actors were and what their gig was. Consequently, I got lulled into getting comfortable with a man's interest in street art, only to suddenly realize that that was not the purpose of the exercise. If you don't pay attention in this film you get caught up in the zany LA thrift-store owner's dream to become a filmmaker who pursues and stalks one of the world's most famous street artists in the person of the elusive and enigmatic Banksy. Gradually, filmmaker and artist switch roles, and we are then introduced to one of the most fascinating reversals in cinematic production: the hunter becomes the quarry. This change over was executed so deftly that I missed it until I started thinking about it afterwards. Who manipulated who? Did Guetta trick Banksy into letting him film his private life or did Banksy hoodwink Guetta into thinking that he,too, had the ability to become a renowned street artist? In this case, life definitely imitates art and culture defines value. What started out as an experiment in curiosity for Guetta - originally a seller of second-hand clothing - subtly morphs into a passion to sell street art as a popular expression of life. The big irony here is that Guetta, the amateur filmmaker, thinks he has discovered what makes the graffiti artist tick when, in actuality, it is Banksy who proves, once again, how powerful art is, once it is popularized, in brainwashing people into accepting anything mass produced as worth collecting. The fascination of art as a form of personal protest can subtly become a medium for commercial exploitation once it is disconnected from the soul of the artist. This is a movie that should be classified as a 'mockumentary' for no other reason than it satirizes ways in which art can be used for personal gain, whether it be in the form of art collections or art sales. In either case, it is art as a personal possession rather than public protest that often wins the day but doesn't stand the test of time. Then there is that possibility that in this day of reality TV, 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' was all cleverly staged by Banksey to bring more commercial attention to this art form. After all, a good Banksy production can fetch a half million on any given day.

Funny, sharply satiric documentary about the modern art world, especially
that of the street/graffiti artists who now command hundreds of thousands
for their work.

The film started out as a documentary about street artists like Banksy, being
made by a very eccentric unknown amateur French film-maker, without much
obvious talent. But somewhere along the way, the tables turned, and Banksy
took over and made the film about the film-maker, who himself finds success
(still not showing much talent) as a street artist.

Endearingly weird, perhaps partly a set-up or a put on (who could know?) this
is almost like an Andy Kaufman performance piece.

But along with the laughs, it has something serious to say about "what is art" and
the awful interaction between art and commerce that can drain all the art from "art".

If you don't know who Banksy is - then you are best off conducting a bit of due diligence before watching "Exit Through the Gift Shop." To say he is a graffiti artist would be a vast understatement; his "piece" Space Girl and Bird sold for $576,000 at auction, and some of the pieces on the walls he's "artified" have been protected by their respective municipal governments.

To think that Banksy isn't pulling each and every string throughout the course of this documentary would be very naive. ETTGS is a clever and elaborately staged hoax that turns the tables on the high art and entertainment establishments.

To give a synopsis would only prove to spoil the surprise for those who have yet to see this fascinating tale of how cynicism leads to street art and self promotion of your cynicism, which leads to art shows, which leads to this film.

Enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole, at the end of it you'll have more questions about the Banksy phenomenon than you did at the beginning.

Either way he wins - and you've gotta love the guy (if he is a guy) for it.