Exit Through the Gift Shop

The closest I ever got to street art myself was paint penning small works in notebooks and *cough* other places in high school. I consumed obscure UK based graffiti mags and even hung around folks who were ballsy enough to throw up bigger pieces. Now ten years removed from that fascination and I still appreciate good street art. So I was more than a little geeked to see Exit Through the Gift Shop.

I had heard of Banksy long ago, critics were raving about the film and friends were recommending it. Done and done. I re-upped my Netflix account and dove in. What I got was surprising. I was not expecting the film to be about someone who had attempted to document the next wave of street art. Attempted may be the wrong word. He certainly documented it, he just never did anything with it. Following his path still gave a unique history of street art over the past ten years, but also an interesting narrative.

Where the film starts and ends are two very different places. I was left churning over the meaning of art. Piecing together parts of the film that could be clues to it being a prank and ultimately enjoying it for what it was. It made me think and I believe that was the point in the first place. It is extremely well made and worth your time to sit down and watch it.