My third documentary selection is my by far the most fun of the three: Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
If you don’t know who Banksy is or what he does, I’m going to need you to use Google to look the man up. He’s astonishing, and I guarantee you’ve seen at least some of his work before.
Now that we all know who Banksy is, here’s why you should watch this film. For starters, Bansky is completely freaking anonymous. People don’t know who this guy is. Authorities have been after him for a heck of a while because they consider his street art “vandalism” (trust me, he’s only improving upon concrete walls.) It’s just kind of crazy that somebody of his notoriety can remain anonymous in this day and age. Crazy. Second, he’s been everywhere. He’s grafittid around the world. This guy is well known, even if his face is not.
Arguably, though, the best part about “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is how, when you’re finished watching it, you almost don’t know if you believe anything you just saw. For most documentaries, this would be a major problem on the part of the director, but for this film, it’s the whole freaking point. Banksy is a smooth guy, and who else could make a cheeky documentary about street art that you might not believe? The documentary eventually turns into a narrative about an artist named Mr. Brainwash, a Bansky student of sorts, who may or may not be real. We don’t know. You won’t know. Banksy knows. All I can really say with certainty is that you should watch this documentary. It’s pure joy.
You can watch the film on Netflix.
Grade: A
Ryan at the Movies 