#33 - Exit Through The Gift Shop (2010)
I watched the whole thing, and I'm still not sure it wasn't an elaborate prank. What starts out as an interesting documentary about a slightly unhinged French guy obsessed with street artists turns into a sort of commentary about how easy it is to prank the art world and gullible people. Thierry Guetta is a French emigre and shop owner who befriends street artist Shepherd Fairey (the Obama "Hope" guy) with the intention of making a documentary about street artists. Eventually, though, Guetta becomes obsessed with the enigmatic English phenomenon known as Banksy. After gaining his trust, Guetta becomes Banksy's right hand man as he attempts to put on a huge show in Los Angeles. Eventually, though, Guetta has to attempt to do something with the tapes he's shot, and cuts them into what is shown to be a terrible documentary. So Banksy suggests that Guetta should "go make some art" while Banksy tries to make something better out of the tapes. Big mistake.
This is a very entertaining film, though I'm still not entirely sure that it's all a real documentary. The Oscar committee seemed to think so, though, as it's up for Best Documentary this year. Banksy is shot blurred and with a voice filter, so it very well may not be him, and the whole thing is just odd. The scenes of the artists doing their thing is interesting, and the sequence where Banksy and Guetta invade Disneyland for a Gitmo-related prank is very amusing. But the overall feeling you're left with is that you're somehow not in on the joke.
This is a very entertaining film, though I'm still not entirely sure that it's all a real documentary. The Oscar committee seemed to think so, though, as it's up for Best Documentary this year. Banksy is shot blurred and with a voice filter, so it very well may not be him, and the whole thing is just odd. The scenes of the artists doing their thing is interesting, and the sequence where Banksy and Guetta invade Disneyland for a Gitmo-related prank is very amusing. But the overall feeling you're left with is that you're somehow not in on the joke.