Buy Exit Through the Gift Shop Movie. Watch online or Download
Genres: ComedyDocument
Starring: Rhys Ifans, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Thierry Guetta, Space Invader, Joshua Levine
Director(s): Banksy
Available Quality: Hi Def
Country: USA, UK
Year: 2010
Available Quality: DVD, Hi Def, iPod, Hi Def, Hi Def
IMDB Rating: 8.1 out of 10 (20055 votes)
Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film. Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the incredible true story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner. The film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader and many of the worlds most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview. As Banksy describes it, Its basically the story of how one man set out to film the un-filmable. And failed...DVD Quality PC, Mac, PS3 and XBOX 360 COMPATIBLE
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Visitors Review
(24 May 2012)
Street Art
This movie is supposed to be a documentary about Street Art, but I don't know how realistic it is. It provides the point of view of the street artists, and their relationship to the traditional artists. If you have any interest in graffiti and street art, this is an interesting movie to watch. Street Art is a form of art for the sake of art without any commercial interests.The protagonist, a Frenchman (Terry) who likes to film anything and everything, develops an interest in street artists, and starts recording them in every opportunity. But one of them is very elusive (Bansky). Perhaps by chance, he gets an opportunity of a lifetime to film his work, and the story continues on from there.It is an interesting story, we liked it. Recommended!
(24 May 2012)
Great Movie.
This review is from: EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (Amazon Instant Video) Real entertaining for a documentary. We got a look inside a world that not many people get.Makes you wonder if it's real or not. Highly recommended.
main-38 (22 May 2012)
Excellent whether you think it's a hoax or 100% truth!
There are many who will swear this film is 100% truth. However, thereare also those who believe it to be a complete farce- concocted byShepard Fairy (the Obama poster guy) and everyone's favorite guerillastenciler, Banksy. Regardless of the film's true history, it is astatement about street art and, more importantly, an examination of thetrue values which motivate it. The film opens in 1999 with ThierryGuetta, a clothing mogul and amateur filmmaker. Guetta is a bumbling,stumbling and nearly incoherent Frenchman who accidentally discovershis cousin's role in the rapidly growing street art community. Thischance occurrence sends Guetta on a 10 year, global journey to documentprominent members of the fledgling art movement- from its grimy, urbanroots on street corners and the sides of buildings, to its rise intogalleries, auction houses and the homes of wealthy collectors. The odd,quirky and moving art in the film plays as much of a role as Guetta,Banksy and the other artists. Guetta represents the unknowing publicwho is forced to view this street art created by individuals who arefueled by cynicism and disgust for the modern, commercial and censoredworld we live in. And, naturally, he wants to be a part of it. Withoutgiving too much away, 'Exit through the Gift Shop' is first an intimatelook into the world of street art and how mainstream consumerism isdestroying it- the same way it did coffee houses, acoustic music, and,well, art in general. And then it is one man's odyssey into the streetart world. He is overcome by one of the last great outlets ofindependent social criticism and some of the movement's greatestcontributors. Then, he attempts to become one of them and really makesa mess. 'Exit through the Gift Shop' is a documentary in the way that'Borat' was a documentary. It's farce which forces its viewers to lookdeeper into the subject. Rhys Ifan provides narration for the film,which only adds to the humor and overall dry wit. In a perfectsynthesis, 'Exit' combines great art, a few nail biting and anxietyinducing moments and a clever and hilarious story which is both toofar-fetched to be fully believable but also simply be written off as acomplete hoax.
Tom Clift (22 May 2012)
spectacularly original, ironically funny, defiantly independent and effortlessly cool
When is a piece of art not a piece of art? Does an image have to becommitted to canvas before it is beautiful or meaningful? Need anartist be professionally trained, or can a hoodlum with a stocking onhis head create something worthwhile? For years, the world ofstreet-art has existed all around us; disenfranchised individualstaking to the cities, using spray cans, stencils, stickers  whateverthey could  as a means to express themselves wherever they could. Butthe question still exists: are they creating art? Exit Through The GiftShop is the documentary with the opportunity to answer that question,as well as to showcase some of the most talented individuals in anindustry flourishing just outside the law. Like the very best pieces ofstreet-art, the film is spectacularly original, ironically funny,defiantly independent and effortlessly cool, and the fact that thewhole thing might be nothing more than an elaborate prank by theworld's most renowned street-art not only makes the movie that muchmore interesting, but also reflects better than anything the elusiveand rebellious art form that it supposedly documents.The story begins when we are introduced to amateur filmmaker ThierryGuetta. And when I say amateur, I mean really amateur. A short,bearded, easily excited Frenchman living in Los Angeles, Thierry makeshis living as the owner of a successful clothing boutique, but his truepassion is capturing on video every single thing that he sees, from themundane to the downright tedious. Content just to film his day to dayinteractions, the idea of turning his compulsion into an actualdocumentary doesn't come until a family trip to France, where Thierrydiscovers that his cousin also goes by the name "Invader", and is infact one of the burgeoning stars of the explosive world of street-art.Joining Invader on his night time expeditions through the urban junglesof Paris and later LA, Thierry begins to encounter other up-and-comingfigures in the graffiti industry, learning their stories and observingtheir craft. And all the while, his camera continues to role.But the documentary really takes off when Thierry encounters andbefriends the world's most famous street-artist: the secretiveEnglishman known only as "Banksy", a man whose works have sold forhundreds of thousands of dollars, but whose identity remains a mystery.At first Thierry served simply as the foreigners chauffeur while he isvisiting LA, but the artists natural talent for subversion soon lead toa bizarre reversal of the films subject matter, as Banksy takes hold ofthe camera and begins to document Thierry's own evolution fromfilmmaker to accomplice to street-artist himself. A barely competenthome movie while under the control of Thierry, in the hands of Banksythe narrative suddenly shift into a bizarre examination into thenature, validity and limitations of art, be it a painting, graffiti tagor even documentary film.Or does it? Adding yet another layer of intrigue to this film are thewidespread rumours that it is nothing but a hoax, a prank being playedon audiences and critics alike by the world's most dissident artist.The possibility that Thierry may simply be an invention of Banksy isnever raised in the film itself, but the very idea makes a reading ofthe movie all the more fascinating. The true author or meaning of thisfilm may never be known  how do we even know the hooded figureclaiming to be Banksy is who he says he is? Ironically and quitepossibly intentionally, Exit Through The Gift Shop is to documentarieswhat street-art is to art  an anarchistic version of the medium; acounter culture film studying a counter culture movement, and it wouldalmost 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 itis difficult to believe that a character like Thierry Guetta could beanything other than real. Eccentric, oblivious and brashly confident,Thierry is everything street-art is not, and would be an easy figure toridicule, especially for someone as savvy and talented as Banksy. Yeteven when Thierry's behavior invites scorn, this film is never cruel,and some of the films funniest moments come when Banksy, Shepard Faireyor other street-artists find themselves perplexed by Thierry's success,unable to figure out exactly how it happened or what it all means. Inthe 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 ismany things. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of celebrity. It isan enchanting behind the scenes look at the world of street-artists, ofa hip-hop inspired culture of rebels and visual stylists. It is an artexhibit put to celluloid, showcasing some of the most interesting andexcited pieces to be created this side of the 20th century. Best ofall, it is a fascinating and oftentimes hilarious examination of thevery nature of art, one that asks many important questions, only toshrug its shoulders and say "who the hell knows". While I began thisreview by asking "when is a piece of art not a piece of art", I mustconclude not only by not answering that question, but by asking anadditional one: "when is a documentary not a documentary". Ifstreet-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.
(20 May 2012)
Amazing! I can't recommend this movie enough....get one ...OBEY.
This review is from: Exit Through the Gift Shop (DVD) Much like the elusive UK graphitti artist himself this super documentary, loosely focused on 'street art' is hard to catch. I missed it for a very brief arthoise run in New Orleans theaters and now it is already listed ad out-of-stock on Amazon. I feared this limit release and preordered, don't give up, keep checking here for it, it is worth it. I'd highly recommend it, although it is on instant in Netflix independent genres I'd further recommend getting the DvD like we did, because it comes with Banksy decals & postcards also in the extras: the original movie the French "film-maker" (who is the film's real focus ) made before Banksy concludes the Frenchman may be mentally ill & made his own movie. Tje film's footage contains behind the scenes of actual street outtings with Banksy, Invader even Shepard Fairey ( the real force whether it be tounge-cheek, behind much of Obama's underground success as a presidential contender). Amazing studio footage and bits you may have seen on YouTube and wondered "where and how did they get this?"...somewhat explained before Banksy turns tables and makes his own movie while making his own monster, turning a quirky wouldbe movie maker into a street art sensation M.B.W. I can't recommend this movie enough....get one ...OBEY.
(19 May 2012)
Exit is Excellent!
I took a chance on this documentary because both Entertainment Weekly and Netflix recommended it though there was little explanation as to what it is about besides that everyone should see it. After viewing this documentary twice I have to agree, everyone must see this film!I will try to explain what it is about without giving too much of its intrigue away. Basically, the film starts as a documentary of street art in LA in recent years and the man who filmed it: Thierry Guetta. To say that Guetta is an avid amateur videographer, is a gross understatement. Guetta filmed every waking minute of his life, so when he became interested in street art...her filmed every second of that! Through his obsession, he was able to meet famous street artists including Space Invader, Shepard Fairey and eventually Banksy (the director of Exit Through the Gift Shop). Banksy takes Guetta under his wing and shows Guetta the secret ways of the street artist. Eventually, Guetta is asked what he is doing with all of the film he takes to which he responds that he is making a documentary on street art. It is when Guetta must actually make a documentary that Exit Through the Gift Shop takes an interesting path (I won't spoil it for you here).There are so many intriguing aspects about this film but I think the most interesting is the current controversy that this entire documentary is just another one of Banksy's pranks. A prank that got him an Oscar nomination...I am not sure if I believe this is not but you don't need to choose a side in order to enjoy this thrilling documentary. It is beautiful in its presentation of street art and its artists. Additionally, it makes the viewer continue to think long after the movie has been taken out of the DVD player.
Jim (19 May 2012)
wonderful discussion of modern art
i dont know if the movie is a fake documentary or not, but i loved it...laugh out loud good , if you have any interest in contemporary art, dont miss it
ihrtfilms (18 May 2012)
Doco or Moco? We may never know...
Banksy. Love him or Hate him. Artist or vandal? Well, that's somethingto discuss at another time as this film isn't really about Bansky, butmore about a man called Thierry Guetta and Banksy's involvement withhim.Guetta is a Frenchman living in the USA. Using a videocamera, he filmseverything. EVERYTHING! He begins to film and hang out with variousstreet artists, on the basis on making a doco. He not only films them,but he helps them. This leads to a eventual meeting with Banksy: Hiddenunder obscured face and altered voice, we never see the real Banksy,but see him talk about his experience with Guetta. The time spent withBansky leads to he notion that Guetta should do his own street art. Andthis he does with relish. First he starts with small stickers, beforeincreasing the size of his work. But then things take a different turn.Guetta decides to host an art show. On a massive scale. Held in a hugeabandoned building, the show comprises hundreds of pieces. But Guettadoesn't really to the hard work himself, instead hiring a massive staffto produce the works and organize the show. Thanks to some good'quotes' and a large press article, the opening night is a hugesuccess: Over 7000 people attend and allegedlly selling millions worthof art. The show looks impessive, some of the work looks amazing andthe guests seem to be going mad for it all. But there is criticism,including it seems from Banksy himself. Is any of this show or thiswork new or original? Hasn't it been done before? Perhaps.Guetta provides many laughs in this film. He struggles talking oncamera, never properly finishing sentences or being reptitive. He seemsabit uncouth as well, almost nerdy, perhaps annoyingly so. Interviewswith various artists seem to give the general consensus that hes anidiot. I fund him both entertaining and highly irritating. thefollowing of the artists is fascinating, seeing the work go up in aninstant and the various styles and ideas. I struggled with Guetta'swork though, perhaps because I was amazed that an unknown artist wasproducing work that wasn't that original and was making money from it.But this is where the film itself plays a role. Is this a documentaryor a mockumentary? There are many discussions about the realness ofthis film. Is it an elaborate hoax, put together by Banksy? Or is it infact a real story about one persons success and the art worlds desirefor something? It's a difficult one to judge, there are many pointersfor both cases. As a film itself, it works wonderfully, because despiteGuetta's annoyance he makes for an interesting subject. Plus you alsohave the elements of seeing various artists, including Banksy at work,which provides some fascinating stuff. It is up to the individual todecide on the reality of the film. Perhaps one day, we will find outwhether we have all been taking for a ride. All be it a good one.
(15 May 2012)
awsome
This review is from: Exit Through the Gift Shop (DVD) its a great documentary about the new art seen of the last 10 years its funny brilliant and full information if you like banksy or the graphite art seen its a great dvd to have. and its in great condistion with all that stuff it shows.
Lake Culpepper (14 May 2012)
Art becomes commercial
I knew nothing of this film. When I received a email from the SundanceInstitute. Stating a surprise Documentary to be screened at Sundance. Ijumped at the opportunity. And what I discovered was brilliant.Sundance announced the surprise documentary was to be "Exit through thegift shop". Now I still knew nothing at this point. Then I overheardmany conversations about this Bansky fellow. So, I felt the need tofind out a bit. Not too much. Wanted to go into this feeling surprised.And I was.The documentary starts off with Terry Guetta a France native living inL.A. Terry filmed everything. I mean everything. Then on a trip back toFrance he followed his cousin "Invader" a well known street artist.Terry found the rush of street art addicting. So, once back in L.A.Terry filmed another famous street artist Shepard Fairey. Now Terry wasnow looking to film the greatest street artist ever. Banksy! AfterBanksy and Terry finally met. Their friendship blossomed. AllowingTerry to film the mysterious Banksy. As the film progresses Terry'sfilm making subsides. And he has the "Bug" to become a street artisthimself. Now as Banksy turns the camera on Terry. The film changesdirection and reveals some interesting facts and faults.I will leave the storyline there. I wouldn't want to give away thewhole documentary. The artwork and the story is engaging. Thedocumentary is thought provoking and honest. A must see for all.
(09 May 2012)
Good Walk Down a Less Travelled Road
At times I might be stalled at a railroad crossing waiting for that seemingly endless freight train to pass. I look at the graffiti strewn box cars and marvel at how totally ugly they are. Then one will happen by that was obviously done by someone who had something more in mind. An actual work of art. It reminds me that not everyone indulging in this endeavor is a mindless gang-banger whose only need is to mark his spot.This is a nifty documentary about an immigrant Frenchman with an obsession for video taping nearly every waking hour of his life. He happens across the "street art" thing and now must find these artists and document them and their work. He even manages to spend an enormous amount of time with the king of all street artists, Banksy, as he goes on his night time excursions to place as much art on buildings as possible. He then takes the next leap and becomes an obscenely prolific and popular artist himself.Living just outside of Chicago, I have seen some really cool building art. Some of it has been every bit as imaginative as its attention grabbing counterparts hanging in pop art galleries, but much of what is shown in this film makes much of what I've seen pale by comparison.The Frenchman, Thierry Guetta, is a real character. Even with his broken English, he has a way of expressing himself that grabbed my attention. As a successful retailer, he had the means to support his video taping habit which, even he admits, is like a drug. That he finds the subject, street art, that allows him to focus his attention is something everyone gains from. I simply never thought much about street artists and this was a real eye-opener. Many of them are sincere about their format(s) and they are doing a lot to push the envelope. There is a lot of cool and clever artwork shown in this film. Any number of these pieces I would love to have framed and hanging in my home. The act of selling the artwork is what fuels the final act of this documentary. As Terry shifts from documenter to artist, and produces an expensive, lavish showing of his own work, it brings into question the entire philosophy of street arts and artists. Is Terry any good and should he be doing this? The argument is that he turns the whole idea about street art around and puts it back into a purely commercial pop business. Not where the artists feel it should be.This is an interesting and informative look at this amazing and unusual segment of the art world. It might not be for everyone, but if you're a fan of the arts, this is well worth seeing.
(08 May 2012)
How do we value art?
Exit Through the Gift Shop opens with a montage of street artists putting their work on display in a number of precarious locations--along the sides of skyscrapers, across street signs, and over ads for beauty products. Where the artwork is located, whether elevated to improbable heights or splayed across feckless city ads, becomes just as integral to the overall effect of the art as what is pasted or spraypainted by the artists themselves. In other words, street art might be the first time in the visual art world where the canvass is just as important as what is displayed on it. It's a suitable beginning to a film that asks us to question what we see in art and in what ways our reactions to artwork are bound up in how it is presented to us. Exit Through the Gift Shop centers on Thierry Guetta, a French ex-pat living in Los Angeles, and how he descends into the shadowy world of street artists. Ever since Thierry had received his first camcorder he found himself self-documenting all aspects of his life. We learn that most of Thierry's early documenting efforts were mostly of the mundane moments of everyday life, and it wasn't until he made a trip back home to France where he encountered his street artist cousin, Invader, that his videolog started to shape itself into some sort of purpose. After watching his cousin work, Thierry becomes intrigued by the underground art movement that seems to be hiding in plain site on city signs and skyscrapers. He begins documenting and obsessively following any and all street and graffiti artists he can find, collecting them like baseball cards (or, Pokemon cards for the kids out there). He even manages to strike up a friendship with America's most ubiquitous street artist, Shepard Fairey, who is mostly famous for his Andre the Giant and They Live mash up, "Obey," as well as his inescapable red and blue Obama profile. In order to find acceptance among the usually reticent group of underground artists, Thierry claims that he is making a documentary. This sets up a symbiotic relationship between Thierry and the artists he shadows: he needs a subject for his camera and, because of the short lifespan of their artwork, they need documentation. This leads Thierry to eventually meet the most elusive street artist, Britain's Banksy. Like most of the street artists featured in the film, Banksy's work is of a distinctly political bent, and perhaps the most memorable moment of the film occurs when Banksy brings an inflatable simulacrum of a Guantanamo prisoner to Disney World. The presence of a chained and hooded American prisoner in the midst of the most meticulously controlled place on earth naturally erupts into chaos. Eventually Banksy encourages Thierry to start making his own artwork, perhaps merely as a means to get rid of him and his pesky camera. Convinced that art is nothing more than a form of brainwashing, Thierry dubs himself Mr. Brainwash. After briefly trying his hand at pasting a signature icon around L.A., Mr. Brainwash quickly decides that what he really needs is a gala exhibition. After recruiting an army of starving artists, Thierry refits an abandoned office building into his own personal art gallery and through the magic of delegation constructs a surprising number of exhibits in a matter of weeks. And yet despite his relative lack of experience in the art world and his dubious artistic achievements, Mr. Brainwash's show becomes a massive success. Lines for his show wrap around the block, and his artwork sells for thousands of dollars each. All of this and no one at the exhibit is quite capable or articulating why Mr. Brainwash is the genius they seem to think he is.The central question of the Gift Shop is, how do we value art? For much of the film this question is on the level of expression. What does it mean for Banksy to place an image of human depravity, a Guantanamo inmate, in the middle of a make believe world tailor made to help its guests forget about the troubles of the outside? But by the end of the film that question of value becomes monetary. We see Thierry walking through his gallery naming a price for his artwork almost at random. The value of art shifts from a question of interpretation to a question of monetary worth. It's this shift in how art is valued that has some people claiming that the film illustrates why artistic value is meaningless. I disagree with this supposed message of the film. Clearly from the reactions to Thierry's work by Banksy and Fairey, we are not supposed to take his artistic merit seriously. In fact, most of Thierry's work looks like bargain bin Andy Warhol. However, Thierry vaults over his lack of talent by bolstering his project with copious amounts of hype. Those who visit his gallery are not questioning the artwork itself, but rather its potential cultural and monetary capital. Exit Through the Gift Shop wants us to ignore the way that celebrity buyers and art investors have obscured our view of art, and instead asks us to view, intently, what is right in front of our eyes.
(07 May 2012)
Not exactly what I thought but fascinating
This review is from: Exit Through the Gift Shop (DVD) Exit through the Gift Shop is a startlingly personal look at some of the most famous and talented street artists of the day. What gives the film its edge is the bizarre lens provided by the man who videotaped the artists. It's an obsession really, but it has no goal. After he shoots hundreds of videotapes of the artists, he has no idea what to do with them. In a second twist, the videographer himself becomes a pop star, creating "street art" for sale and making lots of money at it. While Banksy and the other graffiti artists come off very well in the film, the art fans desperate to be part of the Next Big Thing come off very badly indeed.The film is thought-provoking; that's for sure.
(07 May 2012)
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Excellent film. Was captivated from the minute it started. I thought it was beautifully done & I've begun taking more interest in the art around me. Definitely should check it out.
jnguyen46117 (05 May 2012)
Exit Through The Gift Shop: 9/10
Tbe film established this new idea of Banksy creating the streetgraffiti art, but that is a little misguided. But misguided or not,Exit Through the Gift Shop gives an entertaining look on modern art. Weused to think that art is boring and perhaps useless, but the filmproposes the idea of anyone can be an artist and succeed. The subject,Thierry, was originally a film maker turned into creating art. Most ofthe art is just photoshop work and Thierry just gave the idea, he didnot make the art. Even though Thierry didn't make the art, he still isthe famous one after the show. And throughout the film, you see thatthere's something wrong with this guy! But by the end of the day, he isthe one with the money. And that brings up a very interesting question.How the hell did that happen? Exit Through The Gift Shop isentertaining, engrossing, and phenomenally executed. The movie turnsart into a very interesting subject to debate about. OscarBuzz: BestDocumentary (Good chance)
red_identity (05 May 2012)
Completely intriguing and daring. This is a great film deserved to be seen for it's many accomplishments
Exit Through The Gift Shop, is, first and foremost, very entertaining.It has fast editing, great music, and it is constantly telling new andinteresting things to show us. And what is really great about it isthat it is not just showing 'real footage', but also showing what canbe the destruction of any type of real passion behind any work orproject. I thought throughout the first half that this film was about Thierryand him just showing what real expression many people find in streetart. I also thought it was about him finding his true passion insomething different, like filmmaking. It was a great first half, butthe film also steers in some very intriguing directions. In a way, itplays out like the best type of self-destruction films there are, evenwhen there was no real unfortunate events at the end for who the filmis really about. It also contains a tone that is never really takingall of this 'art' business seriously. Even before the real 'liferevelation' that Thierry has, it is all actually revealing itself to bemore of a satire.I have also seen that there has been speculation if it is real or not.And it doesn't matter... simply because the film has made it's ideascome out of the film strong and simple. There are very interestingpeople. Also to NOTE- what irony that both Banksy and Thierry ended upchanging roles? One of the best films of 2010, and probably the mostchallenging documentary in a long time.
(02 May 2012)
Ipse dixit...
Ipse dixit..."I don't know how to play chess, but life is a chess game for me."Thierry Guetta (Mister Brainwash), Exit Through the Gift Shop
Turfseer (02 May 2012)
Is this a hoax, or not a hoax? That is the question!
The first question in my mind is not whether 'Exit Through the GiftShop' is a hoax, an elaborately staged mockumentary about a Frenchexpatriate living in L.A., Thierry Guetta, an amateur filmmaker turnedstreet artist turned Wahol-like pop artist. No, my question is whetherthe film's creator, 'Banksy', the so-called legendary street artist, isactually a real person. Actually I had never heard of him before thisfilm but then again I don't live in the UK. There's an elaboratebiography of him on Wikipedia but who knows whether any of that istrue. I've also found articles about him dating back to 2005 but thenagain, who knows if those articles are fakes also? I'd be more inclinedto believe this is the work of prankster Sacha Baron Cohen, famous forhis Ali G, Borat and Bruno parodies. If you take a look at theWikipedia biography, so much of it seems like one joke after another.For example, there's an illustration (supposedly by Banksy) of a nakedman on the wall of a sexual health clinic. But here's the kickerÂtheysay that the 'city council' (wherever that may be), "allowed it toremain". There's also a footnote that claims that the source of thatinformation is UK/Magazine/Faces of the Week from BBC news from 15September 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5346822.stm.Retrieved 12 April 2010. If all the footnotes we find in the Wikipediaarticle are made up, that's one hell of an elaborate hoax!!!As for Thierry Guetta himself, is he actually a Frenchman in L.A., whoowned a vintage clothing store and who from an early age beganvideotaping every aspect of his life? I've met a guy who videotapesincessantly and has a collection of videotapes that rival what we seein 'The Gift Shop'. So I know there are people like that. It's possiblethat the creators here found Guetta, who in fact had a large collectionof videotapes that he had shot prior to the creation of 'The GiftShop', and he agreed to be in on the spoof. Whether at a certain pointin his life, he hooked up with his cousin, the graffiti artist in thefilm, 'Space Invader', who introduced him to other street artists,remains to be seen. I suspect all that footage, including the supposedlong association with the real graffiti artist, Shepard Fairey(responsible for the Obama 'Hope' poster) is fake.The entire way in which Thierry Guetta finally hooks up with theelusive Banksy seems like one big joke (we see Thierry racing over tomeet Banksy and he comments how he just has no idea why he wasn'tstopped for speeding!). The whole bit about how Banksy and Thierryplant the Guantanamo Bay Detainee doll at Disneyland and how Disneysecurity questioned Thierry for four hours and then let him go, is soabsurd that one cannot believe it actually happened. Even more absurdis the idea that suddenly Thierry channels his hidden 'street artist',stops his videotaping and becomes a street artist himself.Finally, there's the scenario of Thierry morphing into an Andy Warholtype artist and organizing his own art exhibition in Los Angeles. Didit actually happen? Again, the pranksters could have actually gone togreat lengths to make the exhibition a success by arranging interviewswith the local media and promoting it through street art. Or they couldhave made it look like it was a success through clever editing. Whoknows? There's also a claim that subsequently Thierry designed an albumcover for a Madonna greatest hits album. Did that actually happen or isthat also part of the hoax? Or was Madonna actually taken in by Banksypranksters? One thing I'm convinced ofÂThierry did not actually createthe album (if in fact it actually exists). As it was made clear duringthe film, the pop art was actually created by people who were hired byeither Thierry or Banksy pranksters.As a mockumentary, 'Exit through the gift shop' may be compared to theiconic 'Spinal Tap'--what 'Tap' did for rock music, 'Gift' has now donefor street art. The best one can say for this clever parody, is thatit's fun. The worst one can say is, that it doesn't mean that much inthe grand scheme of things. I'm more on the side of, 'if it's cleverand fun', then it's definitely worthwhile seeing.
(01 May 2012)
Slices of evil
Images of a world. Its connections of each peace of society. Reflectionabout stains and price of lives. Slices from Italy - shadows, fear andcircles. A film about exploiting Warhol after his death but more. Amovie about ways of silence and coldness of crime. About survive at anylevel. About masters and victims. About art slaves. In black and gray.About innocence as crust of deep abyss. About a space who can beanyway. Fresco of rude rules, description of crimes as vascular artery,it is exercise to define roots of our time. So, the frontiers betweengood and bad are fiction. The escape - only illusion. Money and fearare pieces of normal way to transform reality. As form of jungle. Buttotally absurd.The boy - seed is, in fact, only question. Without answers.
Austin Layne (30 April 2012)
I can't wait to see it again
I loved this movie. I loved it on many levels because of many things.First of all, it's a comedy as much as it's a documentary. Secondly,it's one of the first documentaries that I've seen from the 2000s thatactually DOCUMENTS something. I mean, I enjoy works from Michael Mooreand other muckrakers, but this is totally different, just because ofthe fact that it tells a story by following what people DO, rather thanpresenting information and opinions. It's like a Barbra Kopple or D.A.Pannebaker movie.I also loved the way that the movie morphs halfway through from a movieThiery Guetta, the eccentric Frenchman videographer, makes about Banksyto a movie Banksy makes about Thierry Guetta. Banksy criticizes ThieryGuetta for not making a movie that appropriately shows the history ofstreet art, so he tells Thiery Guetta to make some art of his own whileBanksy creates his own movie from Guetta's hours and hours of tape.Thiery Guetta hits the big time overnight and every street artistfriend of his hates him for it, including Banksy.This shows the nature of many artists. They claim they do not careabout the money, but when a friend of their's begins making more moneythan they do, they immediately criticize them. But I believe Banksy isaware of this even as he does it to Guetta, and I think that is why somany people may believe this film to be a hoax. I believe it to be truejust because of so many events in the movie that actually occurred inrecent history, and if it is true, well, it's absolutely my favoritedocumentary now(sorry Harlan County U.S.A.).And as a side note, if you happen to be in the Austin area I wouldrecommend seeing Exit Through the Gift shop at the Alamo Drafthouse onSouth Lamar, because the supplementary material they show before thefilm is also excellent.
Review total: 20, showing from 1 to 20