This movie is one for the ages. Absolutely brilliant at many levels. If you have any interest in art or culture or how these things are defined and critiqued, this movie will make your head spin. The characters are completely unique, and there are dramatic twists that rival anything fiction writers have come up with in the past few decades. It's really better the less you know about it. Just plan on having coffee afterward; you will desperately want to discuss it. What is real and what is hype? Who gets to decide what is good art? Who is an artist? These questions are confronted in a bizarre and ingenious "plot." You may also be aware of a sidebar about the movie itself: Is it real or is it staged? In my opinion, it hardly matters. Just let it unfold and have fun.… Expand

At times when watching a monotonous documentary, there are feelings as though I was placed in a relatively interesting history class. In other words, while many documentaries have some appeal to them, a lot of them lean towards the lets lecture the audience motive instead of actually creating an entertaining experience. Exit Through The Gift Shop breaks this mold and instead creates a documentary that creates a narrative filled with comedy and artistry that depending on the person, one would hardly disregard. There has been wide speculation that Guettas story is another of Banskys pranks to fool its audience, hence the Brainwash. The artistry that is induced within Guettas works are of ridicule and it causes the audience to question the factuality of the film overall. While that may be called to question, there is no doubt that the film is entertaining. There are some stunning pieces of street art and present is an insight of this sub-mainstream movement. Banksy displays how street art is slowly being sold-out and that it is slowly become more prevalent in society than ever before. Overall, this film is insightful as well as engaging; it is crafted in a manner that it displays a fully played out story, with many elements contributing to the films overall success. It never seizes to be fascinating, and there is a sense of completeness that is absent in many movies of its genre. Anyone with interest in the world of street art or art as a whole will find Banksys film to be both compelling and intuitive.… Expand

Banksy, a street artist of whom I was wholly ignorant, emerges as a fascinating thinker and he-who-gets-the-last-laugh in this often hilarious film on the fatuousness of art worshippers.

I did not see this as being quite as profound as some reviewers did -- but that's what I loved about it. Who says a documentary has to be wall-to-wall profundity about politics, war, assisted suicide, etc., to provide an enlightening experience? The peek into the art world, and the laughs, made this a real delight.

Sorry, translation Italian / English mechanical.

Thierry Guetta aka Mr. Brainwash

Like it or not, Thierry Guetta aka Mr. Brainwash, has achieved success. Deserved success for the immense hard work, always alive to the desire to capture the unusual. Many are "no!" receiving the work of the French, who knows maybe in a few years ....,. There are, then, "they may think" people who want to enjoy instant, to understand his works. On June 18, 2008 in Los Angeles, the big event "Life is Beautiful." A few hours before Guetta is a chubby little Frenchman and unknown, a few hours later, the little Frenchman is a little more famous and more rich. They are the "bucks" the real purpose of the work of Thierry? No. I do not think so. Of money with his old job he already has so many, why risk it? For what? The whiskers on the other hand wants to from the video easier to find himself, to make a change to his life. So I understand.

Thousands of hours of shooting, thousands of trays kept in cages, several drawers and containers finally find the right location "mental" and here is the artist that consolidates the success of the year 2008, making the album cover of Madonna Celebration /. And the next year, we are in 2010, we find for the second solo "Cons" in New York and then back to work for major artists. Exit Through The Gift Shop by Banksy, gave us the possibility to enter and experience a magical night world, fair and beautiful. The street artist is a tightrope walker. It 'the only one who is able to blend its colors with the magic of the night. And then ...? And then nothing, everything is left to the imagination of the observer "morning after".

E. .. Banksy, Space Invader, Shepard Fairey? Well, these are just some of the many angels who inhabit the metropolitan nights.

Good Click!… Collapse

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. On a superficial level, this movie is an interesting documentary about the international street art scene (something most people probably expect when they go and see it) and its shining icon Banksy. However, early in the movie it becomes obvious that the main theme is the radical activism and persistency of a person when it comes to reaching his goals.… Expand

Feels like Thierry Guetta's unpublished film "Life Remote Control" would have been a more interesting one to watch. But also feels MBW is just another front for Banksy to go commercial and sell his artwork... whatever it is the artwork alone is worth the watch.

Equally hilarious and fascinating, Banksy's documentary on street art is a very interesting exploration into the modern art world and what exactly "art" is. By far, one of the best docs of 2010. Hopefully the Academy will recognize it, despite not being about orphans or the Holocaust.

The film established this new idea of Banksy creating the street graffiti art, but that is a little misguided. But misguided or not, Exit Through the Gift Shop gives an entertaining look on modern art. We used to think that art is boring and perhaps useless, but the film proposes the idea of anyone can be an artist and succeed. The subject, Thierry, was originally a film maker turned into creating art. Most of the art is just photoshop work and Thierry just gave the idea, he did not make the art. Even though Thierry didn't make the art, he still is the famous one after the show. And throughout the film, you see that there's something wrong with this guy! But by the end of the day, he is the one with the money. And that brings up a very interesting question. How the hell did that happen? Exit Through The Gift Shop is entertaining, engrossing, and phenomenonly executed. The movie turns art into a very interesting subject to debate about. OscarBuzz: Best Documentary (Good chance)… Expand

I really liked the movie. It had humour and the story was very interesting. This movie has proved to me that graffiti is a type of art. Should have won the Oscar it was nominated for.

There is a very very high chance that this is my favorite movie of the year 2010. The characters are so off the wall odd and unpredictable that you almost have to think it's a hoax (after all it's not like there wasn't another documentary hoax this year with crazy characters). Rhys Ifans is a great narrator, his calm voice makes for a great delivery. Even if you don't give a damn about street art, see it… Expand

The unintentional comedy of the film makes it very enjoyable. I think this film is very revealing about our perception of art and the amount of money people are willing to pay for it if it is labeled as "visionary". Even though to me it seems like MBW is a crazy guy with photo shop, I was really able to appreciate everything that goes into making street art. This movie is a lot better than any synopsis you may read about it, and gets my vote for documentary of the year.… Expand

This is the best documentary i've ever seen. but that is probably cause i just love street art.

Perhaps the one of the best documentary/mockumentary to appear in the past decade, excuse the slash, because it is quite hard to tell if this is real or not, either way it is a truly fascinating look at the underworld art of the street, you may know it as graffiti.
Infamous street artist Banksy has created this little film using footage of amateur (in every sense of the word) filmmaker Thierry Guetta, who spends most of his life with a camera in his hands. After beginning to follow his street artist cousin Invader around, Thierry is soon introduced to some of the most well-known artists in the world, including famous OBEY artist Shepard Fairey, who seems a bit disillusioned to Guetta, yet continues to let him follow him anyway.
Guetta finally makes acquaintances with Banksy, who is surprised by Guetta's loyalty and persistent nature.
As Banksy's hidden and hooded figure speaks to the camera, he does say that he places full trust in Guetta, particularly after a controversial piece of art at Disneyland involving a blow up doll.
The film is one of the funniest things to witness, Thierry Guetta sort of seems like a lucky guy falling into the right places at the right time, he never shows much intelligence in what he does, never asking pressing questions but silly ones instead, and if this truly was a true documentary, then I'm sure the artists involved also don't quite know what to make of him, Banksy opening the film by saying that it started as a film about him but this guy was much more interesting was hilarious because perhaps its true, he is seemingly an overnight sensation by using other artist's work and throwing dashes of paint and photoshopped wigs on them to pass them off as his own. He did, however, incorporate the name of Mister Brainwash, so perhaps this was just utter genius, selling over one million dollars worth of art, yet barely taking part in any of the work itself.
This is a very simple and witty take on a "legally grey area" of art, and just some of Banksy's art is showcased and we get a glimpse of just how talented this man is, and the risks that himself and other street artists take to evade the law in the name of beauty.
Whether it was real or not, Exit Through the Gift Shop is certainly a must see for art and documentary fans alike, Mister Brainwash is certainly an enigma, but perhaps one that wasn't supposed to happen.… Expand

First of all, a misconception has been clarified, itâ

Fantastic even if taken at face value. If elements are false or even if the personality of the main protagonist is a fabrication of Banksy, this would add rather than detract from the experience. Hugely entertaining.