Movie Review: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Alternate Title: Takin' it to the Streets

Story: I loved this movie. It was joyous, funny, interesting, had a spirit of anarchy and I am not quite sure if the whole thing wasn't a hoax. But I was so entertained I don't care if I was fooled or not. I am still smiling from this film, a day later.

Street art is about free expression - for all. By street art, I am not talking about those horrific tags that are seen on rooftops and become a visual blight upon the landscape. No, the street art I am talking about are real statements - be they political, satirical or simply visually arresting. This movie is all about the daring artists that mostly work in the dark of night, in dangerous conditions to leave their mark for all of us to see. Art as expression, not commodity - or is it?

We get to meet street artists such as Shepard Fairey (who has his own story to tell over his battle with the Associated Press and his Obama HOPE image), Space Invader, Neckface, Swoon, Cheez, Coma and the most famous of them all, Banksy. We meet these deliberately reclusive artists because of one, Thierry Guetta, a Frenchman living in LA. Guetta is obsessed with filming everything. Through his cousin, Space Invader. he meets these artists of the night and begins his obsession of filming them while they create their art. He films and films and films and explains that he will be making a documentary on the subject. The problem is - he does nothing with his video tapes other them throw them in bins for storage.

Banksy requests that Guetta make his film. When Banksy watches Guetta's 90 minutes of unwatchable clips he turns the tables on Guetta and Banksy decides to make a documentary about Guetta. I will not reveal more of the plot or else some of the fun will be spoiled. But please, give yourself a treat and go see this film. You will laugh, you will question and most of all - it is great fodder for discussion after the film.

Watch the trailer here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTlm6dU2xHk