EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

CAROLINE: I paid my own money to see a cool indie flick this past weekend, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which is directed by the British artist Banksy.

RYAN: Am I a loser for having never heard of this movie?

CAROLINE: Well, it’s only out in limited release and it probably won’t get to most cities, so you’re not that much of a loser. We didn’t even get invited to a screening for it. It’s a very cool little movie though, so if you’re at all inclined, do see it.

RYAN: Who is Banksy? Should I know him?

CAROLINE: He’s a British street artist who has made a name for himself doing outlandish things like sneaking into huge museums like the MOMA here in NYC and hanging his own art on the wall. Also, he had that awesome exhibit here last year on Seventh Avenue where the store front was set up to look like a pet shop and inside were chicken nuggets and hot dogs in cages. Did you see that?

RYAN: OMG yes – that was so cool! I think I love Banksy a little.

CAROLINE: Yeah, I loved that exhibit too. It was right around the corner from my house and there was always a huge line to get in. And he has a huge celebrity following, as you see in the movie.

RYAN: So what’s it about?

CAROLINE: It’s kind of convoluted, but basically it starts out like a documentary by this French guy Thierry Guetta, who is obsessed with street art and graffiti and follows around artists as they do their illicit tagging. One of them is Shepard Fairey who did the Obama “Hope” poster. That part in itself is pretty interesting, but it gets really cool after Thierry meets Banksy, who in turn takes over all the footage, turns the tables and starts filming Thierry and his foray into the art world.

RYAN: Random. No one knows who Banksy really is, right?

CAROLINE: Correct, and he appears in the movie only in shadow with his voice modified.

RYAN: Banksy’s cool, but I can’t say a movie about street artists is really that appealing to me.

CAROLINE: It’s definitely not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It’s for the indie crowd. And it’s more than just a doc on street artists; it’s a commentary on the art world, how hype is created and ultimately, whether art is as only as relevant as its creator’s fame. I dug it.

— BOTTOM LINE —

CAROLINE: This movie isn’t playing in many theaters, but the people who want to see it should definitely get out and see it. It’s only 90 minutes and it’s a lot of fun. Thierry Guetta is a frustrating whack job, but the story is really interesting.

— RATING —