Exit Through The Gift Shop, Bansky, director, 2010
JOHN: This is one of those maybe, maybe not film experiences. We are assaulted by street art (graffiti), then sold on a story of a guy documenting it on film who later becomes a graffiti maker himself ending up with a big show in Los Angeles, except… This legitimizing of his art is all a fake. The gallery is a fake, the movie is a fake. Anyone who thought they knew what was going on in the film, is a fake. This is certainly a film to argue about on the way home, even if you are driving by yourself. I can’t think of anything remotely like this, maybe The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari.
GO, GO, GO, GO (4 GOs out of four)
SPANKY: I like plot and characters interacting, then trying to ferret out the sub plot, but I have to admit this captures that kind of Andy Warhol pop movement and then turns it on its head. I’m not sure what we’re suppose to do with that, but it does get me thinking about, not only graphic art, but film. Isn’t that a hoax. A fake. Yet we love to be taken in and once in awhile need to examine the process (even if this feels we are watching a home-made video). Go see Exit with that point of view and you will be pleasantly surprised. Go to it thinking there will be traditional characters in traditional scenes and you might want to spray paint the theater afterwards.
BARK, BARK, BARK (3 BARKs out of four)
Banksy Quotes:
I don’t think Thierry played by the rules in some ways; but, then there are not suposed to be any rules. So, I don’t really know what mine is. I mean I always used to encourage everyone I met to make art, I used to think everyone should do it. I don’t do that so much anymore.
I don’t know what it means, Thierry is huge success and a rival in the art world. I mean, maybe, Thierry was a genius all along. Maybe, he got a bit lucky. Maybe, it means art is a bit of a joke.
Thierry (the supposed film-maker and eventual street artist) is a kind of the rightful heir to Andy Warhol in a way. Andy Warhol made a statement by repeating famous icons until they became meaningless. But, he was extremely iconic in the way he did it. But, then Thierry really made them meaningless.
