Banksy’s entire career has been based around changing the way we perceive the world around us.

Banksy challenges you to look closer

He calls into question the social standards we have blindly accepted. He rails against consumerism and political injustice. Through his various works, he has changed the face of street art into something with both artistic merit and something to say.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is Bansky’s first (and likely last) foray into filmmaking. It tells the story of Thierry Guetta, who, at the beginning of the film, is simply a man with a camera. As it goes on, he stumbles into this whole underground street art movement and documents it all as he goes. He follows different artists from Space Invader to Shepard Fairey, until eventually luck would land the unattainable and mysterious Bansky on his doorstep. The two partner up and as long as Thierry keeps Banksy’s identity a secret, he may document the process.

Things change when Thierry decides to become an artist himself. He begins small, posting images of himself and his camera around the city in the style he had learned from the masters. This interest grows until he considers himself a fully realized street artist going by the name of MBW, Mr. Brainwash who holds a massive gallery and sells thousands of dollars worth of art.

Mr. Brainwash's logo

This is a film that is much more than documentary; it’s a scathing commentary on the modern art world. Banksy’s bitterness toward what is perceived as ‘art’ and what makes a proper artist is palpable. This is much more than simply a man with a camera who happens to stumble upon this art world and become successful. Always keep in mind, this is a Bansky film.

Many question the film’s validity and how factual all of the events are. How true is MBW’s success story? Some research online verifies that the show happened and was a success.

The question that follows is logically: Is he a real artist and is what he creates actually ‘art’? He has other people actually crafting the art for him. He simply goes through books of art and picks concepts and gets his hired crew to make the art. For his gallery opening, he had an early bird door prize for the first 200 guests: a unique screen print. From there he literally asks the question, “How do I make 200 identical screen prints unique?” The man is a fool–or at least the character he plays is.

The question also arises: Is the Thierry we see on-screen the real Thierry, or is he just a character in an elaborate hoax?

Was it actually Thierry that followed all of these artists around? At one point, he attempts to cut together all of the footage that he has gathered and he creates an unwatchable piece of avant-garde drivel that doesn’t mean anything to anyone.

Is it a coincidence that two of his main icons are a Cambell’s soup spray can and modified Marilyn Monroe prints? Was the success of his show due entirely to the hype machine? It’s all too familiar. With a man as mysterious as Banksy feeding you information, can you trust what you’re told?

All in all, the film is either Banksy criticizing the modern art world or Banksy criticizing Thierry himself.  Either way, it’s an interesting, thought-provoking film and a damn good time.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is playing at the Naro Cinema this week only. Go see it so that I have someone to talk about it with. For a schedule of showtimes, click here.