“Exit Through the Gift Shop” might be the only documentary where the documentarian is more fascinating than the film — and the film is quite fascinating. A documentary about street art and the shadowy enigmatic figures that create it sounds interesting; a documentary about street art made by one of those shadowy figures sounds captivating.

British street artist Banksy, whose work has become world-renowned (and expensive) in the last 5-10 years, has composed this documentary using hours upon hours of footage taken by a man named Thierry Guetta, a French-born American who beginning in 1999 began to follow several of the world’s most prolific street artists, including Shepard Fairey (the Obama “Hope” poster) and Banksy, with the idea of making his own street art documentary. When Guetta finally finished his documentary, Banksy determined it was crap and took the reigns from Guetta, pushing him to follow his own artistic passion. In the film, this is when Banksy turns the camera on Guetta, who builds his own street art identity, Mr. Brain-Wash, from basically nothing.

The result is a sort of two-sided documentary and one that many believe to be partially fabricated. Considering Banksy is one of the most elusive and mysterious artists in the world, it’s hard not to consider that his documentary might be just that — art. To explain, when Thierry Guetta starts to work on his own Mr. Brain-Wash art, he hires an extensive team of artists, graphic designers, sculptors and more to help bring his vision to life, so basically he buys his talent. Then, he uses his connections with Fairey and Banksy to score major endorsements and hype his show and his reputation as the next big thing. When his show becomes a runaway hit, we’re left wondering: what really constitutes an artist?

As such, the theory lingers out there as to whether Banksy, Fairey and Guetta were all collaborators on the aptly named “Mr. Brain-Wash” in order to shed a new light on the public perception of art and street art in particular. Doing so would boost the profile of the art form while also making people think twice about what they value as art both internally and with their wallets. However, if Banksy’s film contains no contrivances, it nevertheless gives more credence to him and Fairey as true artists.

Either way, the events could not be staged, especially all of Guetta’s footage in the first portion of the film. As for the second part, if Guetta truly created this persona with the genuine purpose of making his own art, people still flocked to see and buy his celebrity- themed Andy Warhol knock-offs, which turns out to be the take-home point of this part of the film. If anything, you could consider it a bit of a social experiment, just one where we as viewers are not allowed on the other side of the glass.

The film succeeds as both street art documentary and a character study on Guetta, though a distinct feeling that certain things worthy of explanation are left out pervades the film. Just that faint notion of viewer deception prevents “Gift Shop” from being an truly elite documentary. Because Banksy directed, you never get a sense of who is really behind the camera conducting interviews with him, Fairey and Guetta toward the end of the film. Traditional documentary filmmakers have that kind of “presence” in their films that legitimize the work they’re doing because we clearly sense the intention, but Banksy being the figure he is, clouds up our sight of his intention. Fascinating, yes, but the film leaves you confused in several places.

“Exit Through the Gift Shop” pushes the boundaries for what a documentary is and can be, which makes it one of the most unique films ever made. The lack of clarity and the question of authenticity, as distracting and bothersome as it may be, makes the film all the more intriguing. In the end, Banksy’s core question of who can be an artist and what constitutes an artist or art, rings loud and clear. That conversation will always be inextricably tied to all art forms forever.

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4/5 Stars

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Exit Through the Gift Shop
Directed by Banksy
Starring: Theirry Guetta, Banksy, Shepard Fairey

With a subject as delicate, personal and even as controversial as religion, the wisest choice “Jesus Camp” filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady make is to keep their voice and presence out of the film and let their subjects tell the story. Documentaries are always better with some kind of guiding force and a hint to the film’s intention, but as much as that’s missing from this film, it’s probably for the best.

“Jesus Camp” is one of those rare films that will likely resonate in positive ways for viewers with opposite viewpoints on the spectrum. We tend to think of documentaries as “exposing” truths or fighting for or against something, so the initial thought — especially from those with a liberal mindset — is “Jesus Camp” is intended to do just that. But consider the other side and the film could just as easily offer tangible proof for the powerful impact of evangelist teachings.

The subject of the film is primarily a children’s pentecostal minister in Missouri named Becky Fischer who runs a summer camp retreat for families in North Dakota with an emphasis on Christian faith and values. We meet a few of the children and parents who will be in attendance and interestingly enough, this camp is mere reinforcement for these people. They already seem to have strong Christian conviction, even at age five for some of them, so this is not a film about converting those of little faith.

Ewing and Grady put subtitled facts on the screen, but other than editing, that’s all the say they want in the documentary. We simply observe as these impassioned adults preach and these children — often times reduced to tears — become transformed to a degree most will never have seen before. Fischer draws a parallel to how Muslim children are trained at a young age to believe certain things about Islam (and how to use weapons, but that’s another matter) and she wants to do the same thing but with Christianity and “good” principles. This idea will terrify those who defend separation of church and state and make perfect sense to those who believe they must be intertwined to make the world a place free of sin.

“Jesus Camp” poses the ultimate question about the capacity of children and how we teach them. These kids believe their generation has a greater responsibility than any before it to bring the light of God and Jesus into this nation and the world. The words of ministers such as Fischer strike them deep within, in some ways (in my opinion) terrifying them to the point of wanting to make a difference. Is this a paragon for forming outstanding moral behavior or is it taking advantage of children who know nothing else? Ewing and Grady merely want us to be aware of how many children receive this message in our country because of how large the Evangelist movement is. Regardless of whether its good or bad, Americans need to understand this perspective because it constitutes a significant portion of the country’s religious/cultural landscape and one that has a fierce influence on the political sector.

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3.5/5 Stars

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Jesus Camp (2006)
Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady

It would be an insult to call “The Cove” the dolphin and porpoise version of a “Save the Whales” documentary. It is a documentary thriller filled with wildlife education, thorough journalism and top-notch espionage as much as it sheds light on an environmental/animal rights issue as deserving of our attention as anything else.

Louie Psihoyos draws the analogy perfectly to “Ocean’s Eleven.” He is the Danny Ocean with the drive to assemble a team and accomplish his mission: finally capture video evidence of dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan to make the world aware and the Japanese government accountable for its actions.

Psihoyos brings together a number of specialists from deep-sea divers to set designers who work for major Hollywood special effects, set and props company Industrial Light and Magic. Together they must slip by local authorities and fishermen who literally dedicate hours of their time just to prevent people from getting video footage of any wrongdoing (who also have their own cameras hoping to get enough evidence to arrest these “tresspassers.”) So much of the power of “The Cove” comes from the fact that this one cove serves as a large percentage of Japanese dolphin slaughter.

The documentary also has a main character, Rick O’Barry, who is an incredible story in and of himself. O’Barry is a longtime dolphin freedom activist who has been arrested countless times for freeing dolphins. Ironically, he was the very man who trained the infamous Flipper for the 1960s television show and having gotten to know dolphins so well, learned that captivity is more harmful for them than we realize.

Part of the initial power of “The Cove” is its guilt trip. We learn how dolphins aren’t best suited for captivity despite their apparently happy demeanors and if you’ve ever been to Sea World or enjoyed any kind of dolphin performance or “swim with the dolphins” attraction, immediately you feel like a terrible person. How often we forget that dolphins are the most intelligent creatures on the planet and that they’re most sensitive to sound, which is stressful in a closed environment. The film continues to bring up their intelligence and challenges how you think about these creatures or any animal.

As far as journalism, “The Cove” covers all its bases. From probing the international committee that determines all laws applying to whales, dolphins and other cetaceans to examining the argument of “well, you Americans slaughter cows” to the mercury level of whale and dolphin meat, there’s little this documentary doesn’t talk about.

Ultimately, the powerful narrative of “The Cove” makes it one of the best documentaries ever made. Few films can truly achieve character depth (as in O’Barry’s story) and suspense (their mission to plant cameras where they’re not allowed) while being entirely true and not contrived in the least.

If you like feeling empowered to leap to action after a documentary, this is not quite the expertise of “The Cove.” It’s more a change in perspective and a showcase of what empowered people can accomplish when they put their heads together. Unless you have time to go to Taiji or campaign for awareness over the Internet, there’s not much you can do in your daily life to make a difference other than not visit Sea World on vacation.

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5/5 Stars

The Cove
Directed by Louie Psihoyos
Written by Mark Monroe

Renowned guitarist Slash helps open Sacha Gervasi’s documentary on the band Anvil saying they helped inspire the metal movement in ’80s rock, but he also ends it by noting that despite Anvil never achieving the fame expected of them, that they’ve stayed together — which a lot of bands can’t say they have. That’s the spirit of Gervasi’s film, which goes beyond the trials of a band still after a dream 30 years in the making to show the people that really make the experience worth it.

The film begins with footage of Ontario-based metal band Anvil’s big break, sharing a stage with the likes of Whitesnake and Bon Jovi in Japan back in the ’80s, a show that would end up being their fifteen minutes of fame as opposed to the start of an illustrious music career. Founding members Steve “Lips” Kudlow (vocals, guitar) and Robb Reiner (drums) began playing music together at 14 and now in their 50s, enjoy the occasional penniless side gig in addition to their everyman day jobs.

Pity is the chief emotion you feel when watching these men and their bandmates go through what they do. Countless bands become victim to the corporate music machine and never live up to their potential, going unrewarded for their passion and devotion to the craft. But Anvil is different. These men have been in dedication and talent limbo for three decades yet they’ve never ditched the dream. It’s one thing to be young and come up short, but to be 50 with a family and not letting go is another.

Lips Kudlow as the doc’s main subject creates the emotional connection for the viewer. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and his mood swings abruptly at times. Gervasi captures moments of anger and moments of tears equally and both types of scenes carry the same power. It’s easy to dig into the psychology of a passionate man who can’t always keep his head on his shoulders. You understand him and understand why he and Robb have been buddies for so long despite their arguments. So many subtle symbols throughout suggest a lot about what these 30 years have been like for these guys.

“Anvil! The Story of Anvil” is an underdog documentary unlike any other. It’s founded on music but it focuses the very things that music forges above all else: connections between people and to a raw, passionate energy. Even if you hate metal, you will remember why it is that music is such an essential part of being human when you watch this documentary.

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4.5/5

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Directed by Sacha Gervasi

The American public is no stranger to the MPAA ratings system and its inherent flaws. Everyone has his or her own opinion about the level of censorship that goes on in Hollywood and what is appropriate for what age group and so on. But you don’t really know what it’s about until you watch Kirby Dick’s documentary “This Film is Not Yet Rated.”

Anyone who pays more than surface-level attention to the goings on in the film industry knows an NC-17 rating is a death sentence for a film. You kill off advertising possibilities, your film won’t get played in as many theaters — millions of dollars are at stake. What you might not know is that (as Dick and most would argue) NC-17 is not a rating so much as a way to force filmmakers to edit “questionable” material. In some cases it’s as specific as “if you cut this, this and this then you’ll get an R.”

Dick interviews filmmakers and their experiences with fighting the ratings system in films such as “Boys Don’t Cry,” “The Cooler,” and “American Psycho,” but his goal is to find out who the raters on this panel of ratings screeners are because America is the only country that isn’t transparent with that information. He hires a private investigator to obtain the information and the methods and results are interesting. It’s very guerrilla-style and quasi- professional looking but it works.

There are only a couple problems with Dick’s film. It wanders at times from the subject of film ratings into other censorship-relevant topics that while important deviate from his objective of learning how the MPAA operates in terms of ratings as far as what they don’t tell the public. At one point he explores discrimination in ratings toward gay and lesbian sex and themes and only briefly touches on how violence is not rated as strictly as sex. Important stuff, but it’s just not given enough treatment to be effective in the film.

The tone of the documentary is very Michael Moore without the conflict. It’s satirical and gives you a couple head-shaking moments of disbelief, but its impact is not all that impressive. You leave the film thinking “yup, what they’re doing isn’t right” and having gathered some new insights, but other than reminding us that a handful of companies control our media and that everyone is in everyone’s pockets, namely recently retired MPAA chief Jack Valenti, there seem to be no solutions, no forward movement on the subject matter. Definitely interesting and a worthwhile watch for any movie-lover.

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3.5/5 Stars

This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Directed by: Kirby Dick
Written by: Kirby Dick, Eddie Schmidt, Matt Patterson

The Western world concerns itself with issues like that of bias in the media. In Burma, journalism is illegal. The impact of “Burma VJ” is pretty straightforward. These VJs, living under a militaristic government, risk their lives to get footage of the crimes against humanity in their country–the killing of Buddhist monks, the extreme crowd control–and smuggle it out so the world can see (as well as back into Burma to counteract the government’s propaganda).

It’s hard to get a sense of just what director Anders Ostergaard brings to this story as he creates a film: his greatest achievement is that he simply lets his source, named Joshua, tell his story. The issue speaks for itself and the footage these daring citizens capture is plenty to awaken anyone unaware of the situation in Burma to the tragedy there.

Certain parts are more compelling than others, but in general, “Burma VJ” executes to the fullest what every good documentary should: enlighten. The film’s impact goes a bit beyond into the realm of courage and sacrifice of the citizen to stand up to wrongdoing in his or her country–certainly unique in that this comes to light through illegal journalism–but mostly you are left with becoming aware and upset that a government would treat its people this way, glad to live somewhere where journalism is an institution. Suddenly the conflict we see every day between the media and establishment seems so totally insignificant. It’s a reminder of how important the work of the journalist is and how it’s a privilege to have in a country, which ultimately is about the privilege of being free in a country.

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3.5/5 Stars

Burma VJ
Directed by: Anders Ostergaard

Robert Kenner’s documentary “Food, Inc.” sounds like something you’ve heard of before. When Eric Schlosser’s book “Fast Food Nation” first woke America up to the horrific way that fast food meat is processed and Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “Super Size Me” exposed the deadly health concerns of too much fast food, most Americans began to associate fast food with unhealthy food. The organic food movement began to take off and most well- educated Americans began to take what’s in their food more seriously. But it hasn’t been enough — “Food, Inc.” breaks down why in this highly educational investigative film.

The documentary highlights the problem on a corporate scale. Although we appear to have a wealth of options at the supermarket, just because we’re not buying from the big companies or going to the fast food restaurants as much doesn’t mean we’re not buying from the same process. The food industry has changed so much over the last 50 years because of the big companies that the way cattle, chicken and pigs are raised have completely changed. The battle for healthier and safer food goes beyond choosing fast food.

Kenner visits chicken farmers who are basically controlled by the big industry names. Not moving toward more engineering and efficiency is cause for loss of contract. These farmers are constantly in debt to meet these standards imposed by the major brands and thus have to meet them in order to work out of debt. He talks to a soybean cleaner being run out of business by Monsanto, the company that engineered a pesticide-resistant soybean and won the right to enforce that patent so that no farmer could save an unused engineered bean.

The strength of the food lobby and the business people making the policy decisions in government is incredible. Kenner shows us how protected they are, reminding us of when Oprah was sued for saying she wouldn’t eat another burger on her show and had to fight forever before winning the case. The disconnect between the decision-makers and the farmers is vast.

“Food, Inc.” also tries to inform us as much as possible for ways to instigate change, rather than let us be completely overwhelmed by the apparent lack of control both the public and farmers have over food production. There are people out there fighting (such as the mother- turned-advocate of a boy who died of e.coli infection) and there’s proof that consumer choice can drive even the giants like Wal-Mart to do things like only provide milk from cows without growth hormone.

It also doesn’t lean on the many possible gross-out factors. If you’ve been eating processed meat all your life, you won’t come out of this film saying “I’m going to be a vegetarian,” but you’ll be wiser when it comes to your food purchases and who you support (namely organic and local brands) when you are at the grocery store.

Food production has changed so much that it feels like “Food, Inc.” is opening up a huge can of worms in terms of just how much is wrong with the process, but the awareness that it will create in each of its viewers is enough to justify the documentary’s broad scope.

4/5 Stars

“Food, Inc.” (2008)

Directed by: Robert Kenner