Exit Through the Gift Shop

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Documentary (Comedy)

2010

Rated: R

Running Time: 87 minutes

Directed By: Banksy

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Outline

A man’s obsession with street art sees him travelling the world capturing the most famous artists perfecting their craft.

Review

I have never reviewed a documentary before so I sat here a long time before starting to write. I decided to keep this short and simple and not to critique things that I usually do in my movie reviews. Exit Through the Gift Shop is the story of an amateur French filmmaker named Thierry. He travels the world capturing all the famous street artists on film. He is obsessed with the culture and the lifestyle and catches it all on videotape. His main goal is to meet the notoriously hard to find street artist named Banksy. He is so caught up in street art that he even attempts to become an artist himself. I hate graffiti but to call what these people do graffiti would be insulting to their craft. They are very much artists even if I don’t understand the phenomenon. This film is shockingly funny and was daringly interesting. I knew nothing of this lifestyle and I found myself compelled with all the little nuances of the trade. The footage is amazing as the viewer is taken into the very underworld of the industry. I might not get the appeal of the finished product but the process of arriving there is fascinating. This is a film that should appeal to most people even if it is not a topic you are familiar with. Truly this is an entertaining ride from start to finish.

I give this movie a recommendation especially to people looking for a topic that is a little different.