At the No.1 spot on a list of the greatest hits by Banksy we have not a work of graffiti or an elaborate stunt but instead a documentary focused on the graffiti subculture titled "Exit Through The Gift Shop". Nominated for the 2010 Best Documentary Feature Academy Award (losing to "Inside Job"). and ranking at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, ETG is a credit to the street art scene and one of the best documentaries in recent years. Featuring smooth narration by Rhys Iffans, ETG is an entertaining documentary that won't leave the viewer uninterested. Anyone who is remotely fascinated by graffiti or Banksy will have a great time watching this film. ETG is a testament to how far Banksy's work has come and how it has crossed over into new mediums. It's difficult to describe what makes Banksy's directorial debut so amazing without giving too much away of the plot. Banksy (as seen in the picture above with his voice distorted) reveals in the first few minutes of the film that ETG was originally a failed attempt by a thrift store owner named Thierry Guetta to make a documentary about street art. Banksy took over production and upon getting to know the borderline cartoon character that is Thierry Guetta, decided to instead make Guetta's story the focus of the documentary. The fate for Thierry Guetta depicted in ETG, proves that destiny, much like Banksy, has an ironic sense of humor. Theories that the documentary may be a hoax and a a long con by Banksy are dubious but they also add to what makes the quality of the documentary so awesome. You will be amazed that there are people in this world who are that goofy and obsessive or that the public can be oblivious to what talent is and isn't. Banksy, producers, and everyone else involved in the film swear that everything depicted in the film is true. If you have seen ETG and you let fact that its real sink in, it just makes the events that transpire in the film all the more powerful. The mysterious UK street artist by the code name Banksy continues to scope out locations for his next artistic endeavor, keeping one foot in the shadows and the other in his art.
Freelance writer and podcaster from Long Island,New York. Recent college graduate with a BA in Writing. Movie-buff who continues to write his own screenplays and has a passion for Quentin Tarantino movies, Doctor Who, and Radiohead. Loves to write, all about getting the exposure online and finding ways to tell his story.
