MovieRave; Exit Through The Giftshop

I don’t force my friends to see these little independent and foreign film with me; they just know it’s easier to go see it than argue with me, plus I’m usually right (Except for ‘The White Ribbon’. I’m sorry, Sara). Case in point I scoffed at the idea of seeing ‘Robin Hood’ and wanted to go see the documentary ‘Exit Through The Giftshop’, the first film by street artist Banksy.

I got my way. But my friends really enjoyed the film, so all’s well that ends well. And they got popcorn out of it.


The film is taglined as ‘The incredible true story of how the world's greatest Street Art movie was never made’, and follows a man named Thierry Guetta. Guetta, a Frenchman who moved to L.A., has one passion in life: filming absolutely everything. He falls in with a new up and coming art movement called ‘street art’ and film the artists responsible under the guise of him making a documentary.

He films and becomes friends with the infamous Banksy, and Banksy decides to turn the cameras on Guetta and his foray into the art form he loves so much.

This movie is hilarious; documentaries are often serious, and dark, but the subject matter of ‘Exit Through The Giftshop’ is art. How can you take art seriously?

The film shows the highs of art, new artists being creative and making a difference, and the lows, rich socialites and collectors spending millions of dollars on something they view to be ‘the next big thing’, all the while being completely tongue in cheek.

If you want to add another layer to the film, many critics are saying it’s not a documentary; is ‘Exit Through The Giftshop’ an honest look at an eccentric Frenchman’s life, or just another Banksy hoax? It is Banksy, after all.


Basically, the film delves into what constitutes as an artist (“Thierry broke all the rules. But there aren’t supposed to be any rules in art.”), while remaining entertaining throughout.


Love.