Viewed in
2010
Formats
Netflix HD streaming (Xbox 360)
Premise
Street art legend Banksy directs this documentary about how a street art documentary went wrong.
Loved
The characters and the immortalized art.
Thoughts
A fascinating film with a wicked last act. Even if you think what Banksy, Shepard Fairey, and others do is vandalism, illegal, or simply not art, I dare you to not like this documentary.
Like any great movie, it had compelling characters and a compelling story. It celebrated street art, and my eyes were glued to the screen as the film dived into wonderful footage of the subculture. I was thrilled to watch these people endanger themselves for the sake of expression, share their creative thoughts and technique, and even letting the world see their studios.
Given its fleeting nature, the videos of their works definitely captured a moment in history for this controversial movement. In some ways, this was a continuation of where 1983's Style Wars left off. It would be fun to watch these two documentaries back-to-back, to watch street art evolve from graffiti at its infancy to the diverse artistry in the early 2000's.
The people were simply fascinating. There were some cool interviews with many major contributors of street art, most I have never heard of, like Space Invader, some whose works I have seen, like Shepard Fairey, to the mythical, elusive figure known as Banksy. It was very educational in meeting these people. But the star of the show was Thierry Guetta. His eccentricities, flaws and lack of restraint truly made him a memorable character as the man documenting these cool artists.
What happened during the finale I will not spoil. The interesting first two-thirds turned out to be a set up for an engrossing and unforgettable last third in which characters and art collide like oncoming trains. The end result was spectacular and hilarious.
Easily a must-see documentary of 2010 that might crack my favorite films list.
What I would change
Nothing.
