Recommendation: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a documentary about the emergence of the street art movement. It is directed by “Banksy,” a noted street artist whose work ended up selling for thousands of dollars at Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses.  The documentary’s main character is Theirry Guetta, a guy who is portrayed as partly retarded and partly brilliant, and the viewer is never sure whether to laugh at or with him. Banksy, whose face is never seen (even his hands are covered in gloves, and his voice is distorted by a voice disguiser) is genius. I don’t want to give the plot away, but I will say that Banksy’s cheeky chutzpah gives this documentary a cool, fun side that’s missing from so many docs that take themselves too seriously.  Whether it’s Banksy’s fabulous British deadpan humor or the fact that he remains in mysterious secrecy throughout, he is a character that wriggles his way into your gut. I find myself still thinking about him days after I’ve watched the doc. See it! And let me know what you think.