Exit Through The Gift Shop (SPOILER FILLED) Review

In case you didn’t read the title, this review will be full of spoilers. This is just the type of film that it’s really hard to have a conversation about without giving some really great stuff away. And I’m really much more interested in having a conversation about this than I am in just telling you how good I thought it is. In short, if you haven’t caught up with it yet, do so. Then come back and here and read THIS and we can start discussing it. Oh damn, I just created a link to this post in this post…... How oh so very Charlie Kaufman of me… Whatever you do, don’t click it. I’m pretty sure you’ll just get stuck in some sort of a time loop and dumped out onto the New Jersey Turnpike and forced to kill your own twin brother just to have some sort of ending. Ok that joke was kind of stupid but it was oddly appropriate for this film. Sort of like the fact that I bought this DVD from a street artist/bootlegger that goes by the name “Mr. Brainscan” and looked an awful lot like Edward Furlong…..

I should also mention that there is no shortage of theories about the authenticity or lack thereof of this film. I’m not usually one to be outdone (especially on the internets) so I’ll also be taking this opportunity to spout off my own brand of crack-pottery.

So let’s begin with a quick plot summary. The whole project began when this French-American entrepreneur (French word for facial hair) named Thierry Guetta started documenting street art and artist with his video camera. He was able to gain the trust of some famous artists such as Shepard Fairey under the guise that he was a documentarian working on a film about their scene. He admits that not only did he never have any intention of making a documentary; he would rarely ever even watch any of the footage he was constantly shooting. Eventually, he gets an invite to film a very elusive artist, Banksy. Banksy allows him access to his work and his process. This seems advantageous for Thierry and the artists alike. He is getting all the footage he wants and pieces of art that typically only last a few days were being preserved by film.

Then the film takes a turn. Thierry decides to start making his own art. He creates a new persona by the name of “Mr. Brainwash” and begins leaving his mark all over Los Angeles. It’s at this time that Banksy decides that the documentary needs to be finished. Thierry puts together a joke of a doc, Banksy tells him to leave the footage with him and go back to L.A. and work on his art. While Banksy is finalizing the film, Thierry is home becoming an overnight success with his art and planning a huge opening. His art is blatantly hollow, most of it horribly unoriginal and none of it is actually created by him. He basically subcontracted the entire design process to a team of laborers much more talented than himself. His lack of talent and originality has no bearing however on his success and popularity. His opening is a huge hit and the masses unabashedly sing his praises, much to the chagrin of those who originally propped him up like Shepard and Banksy.

At its core, real or fake, this film is a brilliant commentary on the creative process, eventual commercialization and even the very nature of art. How much does art’s value depend on the talent it took to create it? Is value dependent on talent at all? Does art even have anything to do with value?

As I alluded to before, this film does come with a bit of healthy controversy. Many believe in varying degrees of its authenticity. Most are in agreement though that ultimately, the actual percentage of genuineness does not really matter. I tend to disagree. It is my opinion that the actual authenticity of the events portrayed in this film and the amount of truth it reveals share a very indirect relationship. In other words, the less I believe this film as a narrative, the more it says to me.

The short of it is: this film is in itself a piece of Banksy street art. It has a perfect blend of practical jokery and social commentary you can find in all the rest of his pieces. It is my belief that Thierry is more than likely a friend of Banksy and an accomplice in the joke. Mr. Brainwash is a creation of Banksy and his art is very intentionally hollow and unoriginal. One of the purposes of this film was to prove the true value of the opinion of the masses. Of which there is very little. The idea that the film’s narrative came about entirely organically seems to sell its genius a bit short to me. It’s much more fun to me to believe that it’s a wonderful practical joke. Then I get to pat myself on the back for being on the inside of that joke.

Other than the nature of the film, I think there are a few pretty good examples of actual evidence in the film to support my theory. First of all, there is a scene towards the beginning, part of a montage, in which Thierry is filming himself with various cameras in the mirror. We are told, at that time that this was before he even started shooting the street artists. According to the timeline described, he was shooting the street art scene before he even met Banksy so this montage is supposedly footage from say ten to fifteen years ago. Most of it makes sense except for a few shot that we see him holding what seems to be a camera that I’m pretty sure didn’t exist or at least wasn’t available for consumer use that long ago. This is a little weak because you don’t really get a great look at it but I took note of and it stuck with me. The second oddity is simply the question of finance. Again, this might be a little weak but how does a used clothing boutique owner with a family afford take off work indefinitely and travel the world filming underground art? The last piece of evidence is what stuck in my mind the most. This is the thing that convinced me. When Banksy gets all the footage from Thierry, he sends him back to the states to work on his art and maybe have a small opening or something. These directions from Banksy seem pretty clear to the audience that he just wanted Thierry out of the way so he could try to make something of this footage. Then tell me, why is there all this footage Thierry in the weeks and months leading up to his art show? Either Banksy sent someone with him to keep documenting him or Thierry was taking the footage himself. Neither of which make any sense. Banksy says he was surprised when he heard how big Thierry’s show was going to be. And if he was editing, Thierry’s footage should have never made the film. In my mind, the only reason for that footage to exist was if that was the intention of the film in the first place.

Alright, I think I’ve had enough. I could probably write quite a bit more on this film but I’m hoping that this should be at least enough to get the conversation started. If you haven’t seen it… well why the hell have you kept reading?!?!? I told you I was gonna spoil it. No worries, it’s still worth watching. Check it out then come back and tell me what’s what and why I’m completely wrong.

And now I would like to categorically deny having just written this.

Double feature of the week: Mob Mentality

The Ox-Bow Incident and Fury

Angry mobs have been featured in film for a very long time. Films from the silent era such as Metropolis and Battleship Potemkin constructed these scenes. We still see it today, even in some kid’s film featuring green ogres, torches and pitchforks. This week I wanted to talk about a couple that happen to be very dear to my heart.

“The Ox-Bow Incident” (1943) with Henry Fonda is an amazing western. A group of angry men ride up a mountain to find three travelers they suspect of murdering a member of their community. Once they capture the men, they are faced with a decision. They can lynch the men right there on the mountain, ensuring their own brand of swift justice. Or, they can bring them back down the mountain to stand before a judge and jury, possibly getting off scot free. This most fascinating part of this film is not the decision they eventually make, but actually watching the process. Originally, some are hell-bent on killing the men where they stand, others passionately disagree and some probably wish they just would have stayed out of it. By the end of the film, all parties are changed.

The next film for the week, “Fury” (1936) is Fritz Lang’s first American film. He fled here from Germany when he refused to make propaganda films for the Hitler. I think this film is pretty evident of some of his resentments towards certain philosophies. The main character, Joe Wilson (Spencer Tracy) is wrongfully accused and jailed for a murder while traveling to meet his fiancé. Again with this film, I think the end result is less interesting than what it takes to get there. What starts out as subtle gossip soon turns to a raging group-think with more torches and less pitchforks.

Both of these films are great. They not only stress the importance of due process, they carry a message of the importance of individualism.

Enjoy.

Double feature of the week: Meta Movie Madness

Funny Games & Adaptation

This week’s selections are my two favorite examples of meta-filmmaking or as I like to refer to it: breaking the fourth wall. To explain, breaking the fourth wall is a term that basically means that the film is being aware and making reference to the fact that it is a film. When Ferris Bueller turns to the camera to give us his bulleted list on how to fake out his parents is one example. The fourth wall is actually more of a stage term as it physically is the invisible (non-existent) fourth wall between the set and the audience.

The first film this week “Funny Games” (1997) is written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke. In this film, two young assailants mentally and physically torture a vacationing family they have taken hostage by making them play sadistic ‘games.’ This is not what makes this film meta however. The two hostage takers are actually, in a way, surrogates for the filmmaker. They not only drive the story, they seem to have the uncanny ability to manipulate the entire plot. Some films wink at you, this one spits in your face.

Our next film, “Adaptation” (2002) is, among other things, more evidence that Charlie Kaufman is the most talented and original screenwriter working today. Let’s see if I can sum this one up. Essentially, this is a movie about a screenwriter (Charlie Kaufman) writing a screenplay (Adaptation.) Of course, he’s supposed to be writing an adaptation of a Susan Orlean’s bestselling book “The Orchid Thief.” At one point in the film, Kaufman, (Nicholas Cage) in a fit of writer’s block turns to his twin brother (also Cage) and admits: “I've written myself into my screenplay.”

Enjoy.

The Top Ten of '10

So, I think I’ll start this out with a side note. I just thought I should mention how incredible ironic it is that I’m writing this while watching “Step Up 3.” It also gives me a great excuse for a misleading thumbnail (<<<<). Well, here it is. 2010 is over and this is my recap. I would like also to address one thing. I’ve heard a lot of debate about this year being a weak one in the world of cinema. I think that on the surface, the mainstream has given us a bit more of a lackluster year than last year or ’07 especially. I still say this was pretty good altogether. Sometimes you just have to dig a bit deeper. When the summer blockbusters fail, take a look in the independent market. When Oscar-bait flicks fall short, look for cinema from somewhere across the pond, or the world for that matter. So, without further adieu, here’s ten movies and then some other stuff at the end.

10. Winter’s Bone – This is a neo-noir film unlike anything I have ever seen. It’s a very unique story with a sixteen year old girl playing the part of detective as she searches through the Ozarks for her father. The film opens with her being explained that her father put up the house to post bail and if he doesn’t show up to court, she and the rest of the family will be left out in the cold. I was very impressed with the overall tone of this film and how it was used to generate a steady flow of tension. What I think I was the most impressed with however, was how authentic the general décor of the film seemed. I say ‘seemed’ only because I’ve never actually been to that area of the country. The location, costumes, accents and pretty much anything else that had anything to do with the look of this film was pitch perfect. I’ve always been in love with films that somehow seem to bring their locale’s weather right into my living room. This one had me reaching for an extra blanket.

9. Micmacs – You know that feeling you have when you really like an artist, be it recording artist, film director, author etc. and you are just waiting for them to put something out there that makes you feel like you’ve finally outgrown them? That’s pretty much how I feel about French director Jean-Pierre Juenet. For some strange reason, this hasn’t happened yet. Micmacs is in no way his best film. But, if you’re a fan of his previous work, you can’t really help but fall for it again. No one really does quirk like the French and there is none more peculiar than a Juenet quirk. Perhaps someday, I’ll realize the error of my ways and finally see his films for the ‘all style and no substance’ little insignificant pieces of celluloid that they really are..… Until then, I can only hope that it doesn’t take another five years for his next one.

8. The Wild Hunt – Hey, who wants to watch an intense slasher/suspense film about LARPing?........... Hey, who knows what LARPing is?.......... Anybody?......... Ok, L.A.R.P. stands for Live Action Role Playing. You know, it’s those guys that hang out in the woods dressed up like Knights and Vikings and Pirates and stuff. Then they have pretend wars with fake weapons. Yeah, these guys are only two or three steps cooler than bloggers, and that’s only because they get more sun………….. and girls. This Canadian film directed by Alexandre Franchi might be the most fun I’ve had with a movie this year. The plot revolves around this guy (probably a blogger) driving out to the woods to try to convince his off again girlfriend to come back home with him. If he can achieve this lofty goal, he will not only be reunited with his one true love, he will seriously ruin a whole bunch of other guy’s weekend. Watch this film to find out just how seriously they take this stuff.

7. Castaway On The Moon – It turns out, I seem to have some sort of a deep affinity for South Korean cinema. I’m sure if you keep reading, you’ll find some more on this list to affirm this. Remember earlier when I said that no one does quirk quite like the French? Well, this film’s got plenty of it too. This is a dark comedy about two characters and their relative isolation from the rest of the world. One is by accident, the other by choice. Against all odds they connect with each other and begin a very odd but extremely meaningful relationship. This film, written and directed by Lee Hey-Jun is excellent and a whole lot of fun. Keep an eye out for it and add it to your ‘saved queue’ in Netflix. Unfortunately, although this is actually a 2009 film, there is still no regional DVD or Blu-Ray release date. Eventually I’m sure Tartan or someone will give us a good disc.

6. True Grit – The Coen Brother will not make a film that doesn’t crack my top ten very often. That being said, this film is quite different than what we’ve seen from them at least in recent history. Namely, this is much more of a straight genre film than the majority of the rest of their films. This is also much more of a performance piece than we’ve ever seen from them before. But, that’s also part of what makes this such a good film. This was the right source material for the Coen brothers to adapt and they had the perfect cast to adapt it. I guess the only question is: had they made this film more Coenesque, would it be higher on my list? I would have to say the answer to that question is yes. I would also have to point out that even with me counting this film ultimately as a disappointment; it still is one of my ten favorite films of the year. This should illustrate pretty well just how much of a nut for these brothers’ films I am. You can find my full review here.

5. The Good The Bad and The Weird – Hey look, another Korean film on my list. This one is actually a 2008 film. To the best of my knowledge however, it never got a wide theatrical release in the states. It made some noise on the festival circuit but I think it was a little overshadowed by Tikashi Miike’s “Sukiyaki Western Django.” We finally got a DVD and Blu-Ray release earlier this year so I’m counting it now. Similar to “SWD” it’s an Asian filmmaker’s take on the American Western. “SWD” actually takes place in the West while, this film is set in the Manchurian Desert. This is officially the coolest flick on my list. It’s official because I said so. Director Kim Je-woon is very rapidly becoming my favorite director of action set pieces, and one of my favorite Korean directors. There really isn’t anyone that shoots fight sequences like him. The film he made before this one “A Bittersweet Life” was also fantastic and his newest release “I Saw The Devil” is getting great reviews.

4. Inception – The quality of Christopher Nolan’s latest film honestly owes a lot to “The Dark Knight.” Let me explain. Imagine a world in which the previously mentioned Batman sequel didn’t exist. Nolan is sitting in a meeting at Warner Bros. asking for a $160,000,000 budget for his new film. He casually explains that it’s going to be a 2 ½ hour long sci-fi thriller about dreams. The first hour and change will primarily be verbal exposition explaining the rules and building the world. Then we’ll start in with the actual plot. I think he would have been able to have made a film, just not the one that was released this summer. This is one of the few and far between examples of how enough money in innovative hands can solve creative problems. And when you have a juggernaut like “The Dark Knight” in your back pocket and the third Batman acting as a carrot on a string…… Well, studio execs respond differently when you ask for $5 million for an anti-gravity fight sequence in your weird dream movie. At the end of the day, I feel that this film is all about the craft of filmmaking. And currently, there is no better craftsman than Mr. Nolan. I’m not quite ready yet, but I am dangerously close to officially crowning him as the savior of the summer blockbuster. Again, it’s official because I said it.

3. Mother – Alright I promise, this will be the last Korean film on my list. This is such an amazing film both technically and artistically. At the core, it’s a murder mystery and an exposition on the depth of a Mother’s love. But you end up getting a whole lot more. This is probably the best looking Korean film I’ve ever seen. It’s Bong Joon-ho’s fourth feature film and technically his best yet. The future most definitely bodes well for him and his fans alike. An amazing score, beautiful cinematography, great editing and phenomenal acting all come together to tell what otherwise still would have been a remarkable story. Technically this is a 2009 film but it didn’t release wide here in the states until earlier this year. It’s out on DVD and Blu-Ray now so pick it up.

2. Exit Through The Gift Shop – Alright what can I say about this ‘documentary’? I’m not really sure how much of it is real or fake. In my opinion however, the less genuine you find the events that take place, the more truth you will find in this film. I really liked this film the first time I saw it but I seem to have fallen more in love with it the more I think about it. It is this year’s most thought provoking film (sorry Inception). At its core, this film is a brilliant commentary on the creative process (or lack thereof), eventual commercialization and even the very nature of art. I don’t really want to say much more than that although I would love to discuss this film more at length with those of you that have already seen it. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do so. I’ll probably be writing a more in depth, spoiler filled review later this week.

1. Black Swan – We’ve finally made it. My favorite film of 2010 is director Darren Aronofsky’s fifth feature film. Natalie Portman plays the aging lead ‘Swan Queen’ ballerina in this mind-trip, psycho-sexual, meta-melodrama about a production of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” Vincent Cassel plays the director (in more ways than one), Mila Kunis is the young upstart, and perhaps the most frightening character, Mom is played disturbingly well by Barbara Hershey. This movie works on you for a while before it really grabs you. It shares a very similar theme to Aronofsky’s last film “The Wrestler.” That is the idea of a professional that uses his/her body to perform and is now facing difficulties as they age. Fortunately, this film seems to have a much more polished script what we saw with “The Wrestler.” Portman’s performance was brilliant, probably her best ever. But what curried the most favor with me was this film’s use of the camera. I especially loved the way the dances were shot. Usually, in a film with elaborately choreographed dance sequences, the camera will sit back and take in a full frame of the entire stage. This film throws you right into it. The camera essentially is dancing with the rest of the production. This looks amazing and you have to also realize the enormous challenges that come with shooting that way. I would also add that this film contains some of the best subtle uses of CGI I’ve seen. I really can’t recommend this one enough. I will also be working on a full review later.

Honorable Mentions

Animal Kingdom – This is a very good Australian crime story with a perfect cast.

Harry Brown – I like this movie because it quite obviously thinks that it was actually made 25 years ago.

American Grindhouse – It’s a documentary about the Grindhouse film industry that is more insightful than it has the right to be.

How To Train Your Dragon – Because it has the best 3D flying dragon sequences we’ve ever seen…. Think about that Cameron.

The Ghost Writer – Somehow this movie kept me glued in spite of it’s extremely predictable twist. All credit to Polanski.

Old Movies First Released in 2010

Hausu (1977) – Do you think you’ve seen it all? You haven’t. There’s really not a whole lot more I want to say about this one. Just be forewarned, if you haven’t a lot of experience in super weird cult film, don’t start with this one. Among other reasons, it will completely ruin every bit of weirdness you will subsequently find on celluloid.

The Complete Metropolis (1927) – Shouldn’t this one just be called “Metropolis” and the other one called “The Incomplete Metropolis?” This has always been one of my favorite films and a couple of years ago the missing reels were found in some guys attic in Argentina or something. I can’t remember the whole story but previously we had title cards explaining about 45 minutes of the film. Now we get to see the actual footage. I love it.

That’s about all I’ve got for right now. I’m thinking about doing my own awards this year (best actor, best shot, best fight sequence, best dream sequence, best fight-in-a-dream sequence etc.) I could use some suggestions… especially on what to call them… The 1^st Annual Emeries sounds kinda lame.

Double feature of the week: After first glance

In Bruges & Stuck


This week we’re taking a look at one of my favorite things to ever find in a film. It’s a surprise…. No, I’m not referring to the M. Night sort of twist we all grew to love in the beginning of this millennium… and subsequently hate just a few years later. I’m talking about the type of surprise you get when you’re watching a film that you thought was one thing (comedy, action, horror) but turns out to have something entirely different to offer.


The first film this week “In Bruges” (2008) is truly a great film. Collin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as two vacationing hit men. Sharp British dialogue and macabre subject matter make a good recipe for what seems to be nothing more than your typical dark comedy. But the true star of the show, the screenplay shines through all of that to deliver a much grounded heartfelt Shakespearian type tragedy.







The second film, “Stuck” (2007) is made up of a plot that sounds simple enough. A woman (Mena Suvari) accidentally hits a man (Stephen Rea) with her car, and then spends the rest of the film with this poor bastard, bloody and battered and stuck in her windshield, wondering why she hasn’t called for help. This film has all of the visuals and audios that make for a great romp of a gore fest. It doesn’t take much of a second glance to realize the actual weight of this film as a moral tale. One bad decision begets another, begets another and so on and so on…… And now look at where you’ve found yourself.




Enjoy.

True Grit Review

I originally gave the newest film from the Coen Brothers four out of five stars. It’s strange, but I seem to be falling more and more for this film as it ages in my mind. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the two-headed director made up of the aforementioned siblings. I think that at first glance I was actually rating this film not on a scale of five normal flick stars but on more of a personal Coen stars system that exists primarily in my own head. Four out of five Coen stars is pretty damn good actually. If the film would have had any other director’s name after the ‘film by’ credit, I’m sure it would have earned a full five from me. This is a really great film and it holds up quite nicely compared especially to the rest of what’s come out this year. I can’t really help the fact that I go into every new Coen film expecting to be completely blown away. In recent years especially, I would say we now have two masterpieces out of their previous four films. “No Country For Old Men” was my favorite film of ’07 and “A Serious Man” was my second favorite film last year and my third favorite of the entire decade. These guys have set their own bar pretty high and with every new piece, they have a lot to live up to. That being said, this was a good Coen Brothers film and a great western. Well now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get into some specifics.

This film, first of all is a great performance piece. Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn was just a big and brazen as you would expect. His mannerisms and gruff mumbling carry the weight of every ounce of whiskey and every roll-your-own cigarette his character has consumed throughout all his previous years. Somehow still, damaged and broken, he remains undoubtedly larger than life. His was the third best performance of this film.

At first glance, the greatness of Matt Damon’s performance could easily be overlooked. His character, La Boeuf is the perpetual odd man out. While the other two are given a constant flow of sharp dialogue, he is much more reserved. He is even somewhat goofy, in a very puritanical and honorable Boy Scout sense. Damon’s performance was pitch perfect. Its success depended on all the little things he did so well. I had heard he was good before I saw this but the more I think about, this was probably his best performance to date.

To say that thirteen-year-old Hailee Steinfeld’s Mattie Ross was the breakout performance of the year is a ridiculous understatement. She was flat-out, hands-down, end-of-discussion amazing and her performance was not only the best in the film, it was simply the best part of the film. She issued every snippy bit of wit with perfect rhythm and determined conviction. It was as if she were the long lost lovechild of a nun and a metronome. The most amazing part of this was how she was able to pull this off without ever once seeming the least bit precocious.

Roger Deakins’ cinematography was great as usual, although not as obviously great as some of his previous work. This film seemed to demand a much more subtle look than something like “Road To Perdition” or “The Man Who Wasn’t There.” That doesn’t mean this film was without technical achievement. Several scenes were shot with extremely low light and a candle projecting dancing shadows on a wall or perfectly framed wide angle scenery of the terrain and the subjects contained in it.

I must say that I would have liked the subtlety applied to the camera work to have been equally applied to the score. Carter Burwell’s music was not bad at all, just too baroque and grandiose than I thought the mood of the film asked for. I guess that was the idea though. This film was essentially the telling of an almost mythical story from the memory of fourteen year old girl. Damn it, I think I’m already talking myself out of that critique too.

I think it’s worth noting that this was the Coen’s first Spielberg produced film. I’m also a fan of Spielberg and I’m not exactly sure if he influenced anything particular on this movie but there were a few things that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a Coen film. I don’t recall ever seeing the use of a blue screen or CGI in any of their previous work, and I can’t say I was a big fan of its use in this film. In the case of the CGI, I’m not really sure how they could have gotten away with doing it any other way but it still seemed to be a bit distracting to me. I think the blue screen sequence was meant to induce some sort of dream like visual but again, it didn’t really work that well for me. This film also contained a very non-Coenesque epilogue. It worked out pretty well; it just wasn’t how I am accustomed to seeing a Coen Brothers film end.

I should also mention how darkly humorous this film was. This, most definitely was something I’ve grown to expect from these film makers. Goofy character quirks and generally weird happenings along with matter-of-fact violence are the typical garnishes that always seem to accompany the main course of Coen plot. So with that, I will conclude that this may be one of the, if not the most crowd pleasing films in the entirety of the Coen Brother’s repertoire. It seems to be closest thing to a strait genre film that they have done since “Intolerable Cruelty”…… and most of us have long since forgiven them for that one.