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Banksy, Rhys Ifans, Thierry Guetta, Space Invader, Shepard Fairey

Exit Through the Gift Shop marks the feature-film debut of notorious street artist Banksy. The documentary's focus is French-born L.A. thrift-shop owner Thierry Guetta, whose apparent compulsion to vi... read more read more...deotape every moment of his life led him to document the phenomenon of contemporary street art. Guetta's cousin, a street artist known as Space Invader, allowed the avid cameraman to tape him as he illegally spread his artwork, and Space Invader also introduced him to other street artists, whose work Guetta captured on tape. Eventually, Guetta hooked up with Shepard Fairey, who was best known (before he created an iconic Barack Obama campaign poster) for his widespread stickers featuring an image of the late wrestler Andre the Giant over the word "OBEY." Guetta soon hears about the mysterious street artist/prankster Banksy, and becomes obsessed with finding him and videotaping his exploits. Thanks to Guettta's growing reputation among street artists, the two eventually meet and form a sort of partnership. Guetta even videotapes Banksy's infamous "Gitmo" prank at Disneyland, wherein a handcuffed, hooded figure in an orange jumpsuit is placed beside one of the rides. They get along quite well until Banksy suggests that Guetta stop shooting, take the countless hours of footage he's accumulated, and start assembling them into a documentary. Banksy eventually takes over the documentary project, and inadvertently pushes Guetta's creative energy in a new direction, as Guetta becomes a kind of street artist himself, with shocking results. Exit Through the Gift Shop, narrated by Rhys Ifans, had its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. While it was very well received, there was much speculation as to the documentary's veracity and the provenance of Guetta, his videotape, and his artwork. Given Banksy's reputation, that should not come as a surprise. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Flixster Users

91% liked it

19,046 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

104 critics

R, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Banksy

Release Date: April 16, 2010

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DVD Release Date: December 14, 2010

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Mister Brain Wash Mr. Brain Wash Banksy Banksy Bansky Banksy Banksy Banksy
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Flixster Reviews (2,748)

  • blacksheepboy
    April 11, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    A fascinating documentary focusing on an eccentric guy that decided to film the work of street artists, which could make eternal their ephemeral art. It is both a record of the movement and an amusing character study - while also making us question the nature and value of art its... read moreelf.
  • kenstachnik
    February 29, 2012
    kenstachnik
    Really enjoyed the hell out of this. Worth watching, but even more so, worth discussing afterward.
  • paulkoh110
    November 20, 2011
    paulkoh110
    More than a documentary, it shows that any human's life can be seen as a drama. hilarious and artistic, banksy has really outdone himself with this mix of showing the artwork of other artists and himself.
  • flixsterman
    November 4, 2011
    flixsterman
    Hey, if Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol can convince the world that they're legitimate, talented 'artists' then why not obsessive-compulsive Thierry Guetta, right?
  • lewiskendell
    October 1, 2011
    lewiskendell
    A fascinating documentary about street art, or rather a documentary about a man making a documentary about street art. It's a lot funnier, more interesting, and more subversive than it actually sounds, and it leaves you with a lot to think about.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    August 22, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "The incredible true story of how the world's greatest Street Art movie was never made..."

    The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner. The film ... read morecontains footage of Banksy, Shephard Fairey, Invader and many of the world's most infamous graffiti artists at work.

    REVIEW

    A fiercely entertaining movie about one man's crusade to make a film record of the underground street art world that becomes more about the man himself than it does about the art.

    Banksy, the legendary street artist and director of the documentary, tells the story of Thierry, an amateur filmmaker who makes friends with the street art community and records them at work. They like him, mostly because he's documenting for the world what they do. The ultimate catch is getting a chance to meet and record Banksy himself, which Thierry does. This seems to be what the movie is about and takes us to about the mid-way point. But then the focus shifts -- Thierry decides he wants to be an overnight street art sensation himself and stages a huge and hugely successful exhibit of his work. Never mind that most of the work was actually done by a team of hired graphic artists and carpenters and that Thierry spends more time aggressively promoting himself than he does creating any art.

    At the heart of "Exit Through the Gift Shop" are some compelling questions about the legitimacy of art. The public buys into the hype and embraces Thierry as the Next Big Thing -- are they dupes or trend setters? When does art become art? When it's put on a wall or when the public endorses it? You can feel the bitterness and most probably jealousy of Banksy and the other street artists in the film practically seeping off the screen. After all, here's some anonymous guy that throws a lot of money behind a stunt that gets him instantly to a place that took them years to get to (if they get there at all).

    It's hard to know how to feel about Thierry. You want to dislike him for many of the same reasons that the street artists clearly feel some animosity toward him, but at the same time it's hard to resist his infectious enthusiasm, and it's not his fault that the general public is basically pretty stupid. If he can recognize that and capitalize off of it, why shouldn't he? It's a right that belongs to all of us.
  • fb634552688
    July 13, 2011
    fb634552688
    I got goosebumps from how good it was. When I heard Banksy was coming out with a movie, I had high expectations. It surpassed them.
  • fb100001048934982
    June 17, 2011
    fb100001048934982
    'Exit Through the Gift Shop' is an enjoyable and insightful look into the world of street art, a revolutionary art form in itself. The movie collapses on itself, however, when the audience realizes that Guetta is being made into the antagonist and disrupting everything the first ... read more2/3 of the movie stood for. It is interesting to get this inside look as to what drives this creative force and the explanations behind it. It may not be to 'brainwash', as Guetta states, but instead to remind people that the everyday things we see and know don't have to stay that way. They can be twisted and shaped into something remarkable, revolutionary, and unforgettable.
  • binky013
    June 7, 2011
    binky013
    The "overnight success" is rarely a success so quickly. Not only is it possible that Thierry Guetta is a genius, it's also very apparent that he has been driven for years to document the art and artists that he comes to create and be. In that time he is absorbing the technique ... read moreand the work ethic. I'd call him a master learner at the least. "Overnight success" happens all the time, and it will happen many times again. Genius or not, artists in every medium will rise at the right time and be celebrated by the culture in which they rise. And they will make a ton of money if they are popular. More power to them.

    As far as graffiti or street art -- or whatever you wish to call it -- I've cleaned up my fair share of it. With at least 90% of these "artists" -- really? -- I'd be ashamed to have people know that I was the "artist." It really is crap. From lousy handwriting to lousy execution, it's just plain embarrassing. Holden Caulfield says:

    . . . I saw another "Fuck you" on the wall. I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something. It wouldn't come off. It's hopeless, anyway. If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the "Fuck you" signs in the world. It's impossible.

    I feel that way about talentless street artists. They're a dime a dozen, and you'll never wipe out all of their atrocious work. But for that 10% or so who are actually good at it, thank you for folks who document it in photos or movies before it's gone. For me, it's always a pleasure to see great graffiti live and in person.
  • fb1576983399
    May 16, 2011
    fb1576983399
    A very interesting documentary or well thought out hoax. Either way it is definitely worth a watch, very intriguing.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
September 29, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The "Emperor's New Clothes" con job of modern art takes one right on the kisser in Exit Through the Gift Shop, a little guerrilla style filmmaking about guerrilla graffiti artists and their status as ... Full Review

Richard Nilsen
June 24, 2010
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

The plain fact is that, on some level, it doesn't matter whether the film is true or not. Either way, it's fascinating. Either way, we learn a lot. Either way, it's a great film. Full Review

Tom Long
May 7, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

Hoax or not, Exit Through the Gift Shop ends up energizing, aggravating, enjoyable and revealing. Is it art or isn't it? Who knows? Apparently no one. Full Review

Peter Rainer
May 7, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Put-on, satire, mockumentary, goof? Whatever it is, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is an original. Full Review

Chris Vognar
May 7, 2010
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Like Banksy's best street work, it pushes and prods our gullibility buttons and sends the mind swirling with questions of artistic authenticity and intent. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
April 30, 2010
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Exit Through the Gift Shop offers an absorbing glimpse of a bracingly subversive slice of the culture, as well as some tantalizing images of Banksy at work. Full Review

Colin Covert
April 29, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Exit Through the Gift Shop, credited as "A Banksy Film," poses some bitingly funny questions about the meaning and value of art. Is it in the eye of the beholder? Is it truth plus beauty? Anything you... Full Review

J. R. Jones
April 29, 2010
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Some have suggested that the whole story, including the emergence of Mr. Brainwash, is an elaborate hoax engineered by Banksy to satirize the commodification of art. If so, it's a brilliant one. Full Review

Michael Phillips
April 29, 2010
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The brilliantly untrustworthy documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop reminds us that a film can start out in one direction and then change course so radically, it becomes an act of provocation unto it... Full Review

Roger Ebert
April 29, 2010
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The widespread speculation that Exit Through the Gift Shop is a hoax only adds to its fascination. Full Review

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    • Banksy: I don't think Thierry played by the rules in some ways; but, then there are not suposed to be any rules. So, I don't really know what mine is. I mean I always used to encourage everyone I met to make art, I used to think everyone should do it. I don't do that so much anymore.
    • Banksy: I don't know what it means, Thierry is huge success and a rival in the art world. I mean, maybe, Thierry was a genius all along. Maybe, he got a bit lucky. Maybe, it means art is a bit of a joke.
    • Shepard Fairey: I do think the whole phenomenon of uh Thierry's obsession with street art, becoming a street artist, a lot of suckers buying into his show and him selling a lot of expensive art, um, very quickly. It is anthropologically, sociologically it's a fascinating thing to observe and maybe there's some things to be learned from it.
    • Thierry Guetta: I feel good. I feel good as a Artist, to have a reputation, now. You know, an artist is not a guy that you see in one show and you can decide who it is or if he copies Banksy or if he copies uh Shepard Fairey or if he copies... It is about time. You'lll see in the time who I will be. Because, with time you will see my creativity. You will see if I am a real artist or not.
    • Banksy: Most artists spend years perfecting their craft finding their style. Thierry seems to have missed all those bits. I mean there's no one quite like Thierry. Even if his art looks quite a lot like everyones else's.
    • Banksy: He kind of the rightful heir to Andy Warhol in a way. Andy Warhol made a statement by repeating famous icons until they became meaningless. But, he was extremely iconic in the way he did it. But, then Thierry really made them meaningless.
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