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'Exit' is worth entering

Chronicling the rise of street art from the alleys to the museum, quirky Banksy documentary explores new artistic movement

Possibly the weirdest but most interesting film released in a while, Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by notorious English street artist Banksy, follows Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant living in Los Angeles. The film shows his immersion in the world of street art and his transformation from a street art documenter to an actual street artist known as "Mr. Brainwash." Narrated by Rhys Ifans and featuring streets artists such as Shepard Fairey and "Invader," the film focuses not only on the street art and the work involved with it, but also its gradual progression from the streets to the gallery. Gift Shop's kooky characters and quick pacing put a welcome cinematic spin on this Oscar nominee for Best Documentary.

Thierry's documentation of street art begins one summer vacation in France when he discovers that his cousin is international street artist "Invader," known for making mosaics of the characters of the video game Space Invaders. Thierry begins to harness his love of filming when he follows Invader and his friends, Zeus and Monsieur Andr

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