Genre: Documentary
Director: Banksy
Starring: Thierry Guetta, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader, Rhys Ifans
Running Time: 107 minutes (plus trailers)
“Maybe art is a bit of a joke?”
When is a piece of art not a piece of art? Does an image have to be committed to canvas before it is beautiful or meaningful? Need an artist be professionally trained, or can a hoodlum with a stocking on his head create something worthwhile? For years the world of street-art has existed all around us; disenfranchised individuals taking to the cities, using spray cans, stencils, stickers – whatever they could – as a means to express themselves wherever they could. But the question still exists: are they creating art? Exit Through The Gift Shop is the documentary with the opportunity to answer that question, as well as to showcase some of the most talented individuals in an industry flourishing just outside the law. Like the very best pieces of street-art, the film is spectacularly original, ironically funny, defiantly independent and effortlessly cool, and the fact that the whole thing might be nothing more than an enormous prank by the world’s most renowned street-art not only makes the movie that much more interesting, but also reflects better than anything the elusive and rebellious art form that it supposedly documents.
The story begins when we are introduced to amateur filmmaker Thierry Guetta. And when I say amateur, I mean really amateur. A short, bearded, easily excited Frenchman living in Los Angeles, Thierry makes his living as the owner of a successful clothing boutique, but his true passion is capturing on video every single thing that he sees, from the mundane to the downright tedious. Content just to film his day to day interactions, the idea of turning his compulsion into an actual documentary doesn’t come until a family trip to France, where Thierry discovers that his cousin also goes by the name “Invader”, and is in fact one of the burgeoning stars of the explosive world of street-art. Joining Invader on his night time expeditions through the urban jungles of Paris and later LA, Thierry begins to encounter other up-and-coming figures in the graffiti industry, learning their stories and observing their craft. And all the while, his camera continues to role.
But the documentary really takes off when Thierry encounters and befriends the world’s most famous street-artist: the secretive Englishman known only as “Banksy”, a man whose works have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but whose identity remains a mystery. At first Thierry serves as the foreigners chauffeur while he is visiting LA, but soon the artists natural talent for subversion leads to a bizarre reversal of the films subject matter, as Banksy takes hold of the camera and begins to document Thierry’s own evolution from filmmaker to accomplice to street-artist himself. A barely competent home movie while under the control of Thierry, in the hands of Banksy the narrative suddenly shift into a bizarre examination into the nature, validity and limitations of art, be it a painting, graffiti tag or even documentary film.
Or does it? Adding yet another layer of intrigue to this film are the widespread rumours that it is nothing but a hoax, a prank being played on audiences and critics alike by the world’s most dissident artist. The possibility that Thierry may simply be an invention of Banksy is never raised in the film itself, but the very idea makes a reading of the movie all the more fascinating. The true author or meaning of this film may never be known – how do we even know the hooded figure claiming to be Banksy is who he says he is? Ironically (or perhaps intentionally) Exit Through The Gift Shop ends up being to documentaries what street-art is to art – an anarchistic version of the medium; it is a counter culture film studying a counter culture movement, and it would almost be fitting if the whole thing was nothing but an elaborate ruse.
For the record however, I like to believe that this film is accurate. They say that truth is often stranger than fiction, and in this case it is difficult to believe that a character like Thierry Guetta could be anything other than real. Eccentric, oblivious and brashly confident, Thierry is everything street-art is not, and would be an easy figure to ridicule, especially for someone as savvy and talented as Banksy. Yet even when Thierry’s behavior invites scorn, the film is never cruel, and some of the funniest moments come when Banksy, Shepard Fairey and other street-artists find themselves perplexed by Thierry’s success, unable to figure out exactly how it happened or what it all means. In the words of one baffled interviewee: “I don’t know who the joke is on. I don’t even know if there is a joke.”
Exit Through The Gift Shop is many things. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of celebrity. It is a enchanting behind the scenes look at the world of street-artists, of a hip-hop inspired culture of rebels and visual stylists. It is an art exhibit put to celluloid, showcasing some of the most interesting and exciting pieces to be created this side of the 20th century. Best of all, it is a fascinating and oftentimes hilarious examination of the very nature of art, one that asks many important questions, only to shrug its shoulders and say “who the hell knows”. While I began this review by asking “when is a piece of art not a piece of art?”, I must conclude not only by not answering that question, but by asking an additional one: “when is a documentary not a documentary?”. If street-art pushes the boundaries of the medium, so too does this film, and whether it is fake or not, it is still a hell of a piece of work.
Exit Through The Giftshop is currently in limited release in Melbourne. It is also playing in select cities in the US; click here to find a location near you.
Director: Banksy
Starring: Thierry Guetta, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader, Rhys Ifans
Running Time: 107 minutes (plus trailers)
“Maybe art is a bit of a joke?”
When is a piece of art not a piece of art? Does an image have to be committed to canvas before it is beautiful or meaningful? Need an artist be professionally trained, or can a hoodlum with a stocking on his head create something worthwhile? For years the world of street-art has existed all around us; disenfranchised individuals taking to the cities, using spray cans, stencils, stickers – whatever they could – as a means to express themselves wherever they could. But the question still exists: are they creating art? Exit Through The Gift Shop is the documentary with the opportunity to answer that question, as well as to showcase some of the most talented individuals in an industry flourishing just outside the law. Like the very best pieces of street-art, the film is spectacularly original, ironically funny, defiantly independent and effortlessly cool, and the fact that the whole thing might be nothing more than an enormous prank by the world’s most renowned street-art not only makes the movie that much more interesting, but also reflects better than anything the elusive and rebellious art form that it supposedly documents.The story begins when we are introduced to amateur filmmaker Thierry Guetta. And when I say amateur, I mean really amateur. A short, bearded, easily excited Frenchman living in Los Angeles, Thierry makes his living as the owner of a successful clothing boutique, but his true passion is capturing on video every single thing that he sees, from the mundane to the downright tedious. Content just to film his day to day interactions, the idea of turning his compulsion into an actual documentary doesn’t come until a family trip to France, where Thierry discovers that his cousin also goes by the name “Invader”, and is in fact one of the burgeoning stars of the explosive world of street-art. Joining Invader on his night time expeditions through the urban jungles of Paris and later LA, Thierry begins to encounter other up-and-coming figures in the graffiti industry, learning their stories and observing their craft. And all the while, his camera continues to role.But the documentary really takes off when Thierry encounters and befriends the world’s most famous street-artist: the secretive Englishman known only as “Banksy”, a man whose works have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but whose identity remains a mystery. At first Thierry serves as the foreigners chauffeur while he is visiting LA, but soon the artists natural talent for subversion leads to a bizarre reversal of the films subject matter, as Banksy takes hold of the camera and begins to document Thierry’s own evolution from filmmaker to accomplice to street-artist himself. A barely competent home movie while under the control of Thierry, in the hands of Banksy the narrative suddenly shift into a bizarre examination into the nature, validity and limitations of art, be it a painting, graffiti tag or even documentary film.
Or does it? Adding yet another layer of intrigue to this film are the widespread rumours that it is nothing but a hoax, a prank being played on audiences and critics alike by the world’s most dissident artist. The possibility that Thierry may simply be an invention of Banksy is never raised in the film itself, but the very idea makes a reading of the movie all the more fascinating. The true author or meaning of this film may never be known – how do we even know the hooded figure claiming to be Banksy is who he says he is? Ironically (or perhaps intentionally) Exit Through The Gift Shop ends up being to documentaries what street-art is to art – an anarchistic version of the medium; it is a counter culture film studying a counter culture movement, and it would almost be fitting if the whole thing was nothing but an elaborate ruse.For the record however, I like to believe that this film is accurate. They say that truth is often stranger than fiction, and in this case it is difficult to believe that a character like Thierry Guetta could be anything other than real. Eccentric, oblivious and brashly confident, Thierry is everything street-art is not, and would be an easy figure to ridicule, especially for someone as savvy and talented as Banksy. Yet even when Thierry’s behavior invites scorn, the film is never cruel, and some of the funniest moments come when Banksy, Shepard Fairey and other street-artists find themselves perplexed by Thierry’s success, unable to figure out exactly how it happened or what it all means. In the words of one baffled interviewee: “I don’t know who the joke is on. I don’t even know if there is a joke.”
Exit Through The Gift Shop is many things. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of celebrity. It is a enchanting behind the scenes look at the world of street-artists, of a hip-hop inspired culture of rebels and visual stylists. It is an art exhibit put to celluloid, showcasing some of the most interesting and exciting pieces to be created this side of the 20th century. Best of all, it is a fascinating and oftentimes hilarious examination of the very nature of art, one that asks many important questions, only to shrug its shoulders and say “who the hell knows”. While I began this review by asking “when is a piece of art not a piece of art?”, I must conclude not only by not answering that question, but by asking an additional one: “when is a documentary not a documentary?”. If street-art pushes the boundaries of the medium, so too does this film, and whether it is fake or not, it is still a hell of a piece of work.
Exit Through The Giftshop is currently in limited release in Melbourne. It is also playing in select cities in the US; click here to find a location near you.
