Much better reviews than I could hope to write have been written, so I will keep my remarks short. I have no background knowledge in street art, beyond having heard of Banksy, to really judge this film on the breadth or depth of its coverage.
What I found interesting about this film is not so much the film itself (although it is quite good), but the controversy surrounding it, which is an extension of the actual film to a point. Some have said that Banksy, who is the film's director and also a big part of the film, has created Mr. Brainwash and that the entire film is a scam.
I think just the opposite. I think the film is completely real, but Banksy is pushing the idea that it is just a scam to create buzz for it. Which, I think, has worked. By taking a good film and then turning it into a piece of art with multiple dimensions: is there a scam or not, and if so, what is it? That is genius.
I also appreciate the inclusion of Shepard Fairey, who I did not know before this film. I had seen his "obey" stuff and the Andre the Giant stuff, and of course the Obama poster. But i did not know who made it or that these were all the same guy. That was a nice revelation for me, and it was great to put a face to the work -- here is a street artist at work since 1989 that has risen to something more. Banksy may be a millionaire street artist, but a street artist just the same. Fairey is commercial, whether that is good or not.
What I found interesting about this film is not so much the film itself (although it is quite good), but the controversy surrounding it, which is an extension of the actual film to a point. Some have said that Banksy, who is the film's director and also a big part of the film, has created Mr. Brainwash and that the entire film is a scam.
I think just the opposite. I think the film is completely real, but Banksy is pushing the idea that it is just a scam to create buzz for it. Which, I think, has worked. By taking a good film and then turning it into a piece of art with multiple dimensions: is there a scam or not, and if so, what is it? That is genius.
I also appreciate the inclusion of Shepard Fairey, who I did not know before this film. I had seen his "obey" stuff and the Andre the Giant stuff, and of course the Obama poster. But i did not know who made it or that these were all the same guy. That was a nice revelation for me, and it was great to put a face to the work -- here is a street artist at work since 1989 that has risen to something more. Banksy may be a millionaire street artist, but a street artist just the same. Fairey is commercial, whether that is good or not.