Review of Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) by Stuart K — 07 Feb 2013

Directed by street artist Banksy, whose style of guerrilla graffiti has inspired people around the world, this is his directorial debut at a film, which is a documentary, or is it?? It might look like a documentary on the appeal and craft of street art, but if you look closer, this actually might be the most deceptive documentary since Orson Welles' F for Fake (1973), or maybe it isn't, Banksy isn't going to be saying.

This tells the story of Frenchman Thierry Guetta, he lives in Los Angeles running a profitable clothes shop, but for the past few years, he's taken to filming most of his life on a camcorder, but when he's drawn into the world of street art, a chance encounter brings him to Banksy, who Guetta decides to make a documentary about.

However, his first attempt at a documentary is incoherent, so Banksy makes Guetta put down his camcorder, and try to do some street art of his own, with a little help from Banksy and fellow street artist Shepard Fairey, Guetta now goes under the name of Mr.

Brainwash, and he puts everything he has into his own show. It's a good film, but there are moments that make you think, "hang on..." Although some moments happened, like Banksy putting a dummy of a Guantanamo prisoner inside a ride at Disneyland.

It's very deceptive, but on the other hand, it might actually be all true, we'll never know.