Exit Through the Gift Shop
2010
****½
Director: Banksy
Cast:
Thierry Guetta, a Frenchman who lives in Los Angeles, doesn't go anywhere without a video camera. After filming his own life for years, he begins to document the lives of street artists and manages to capture all the big names in action, with the exception of one - Banksy. However, when he finally meets the elusive graffiti artist, the film turns on its head and becomes a story about Thierry, as he pursues his own (or mostly borrowed) artistic vision. Although nobody's credited in the titles, this is Banksy's directorial debut. The first half is a fascinating celebration of the wit, creativity and anarchy of street art, the second half a scathing commentary on commercialisation. Is it a documentary or an elaborate practical joke at our expense? Who cares when it's this funny and interesting.
