Rated R for some language; 3 stars; showtimes
Shrouded in shadow and his voice altered, the renowned British graffiti artist known as Banksy acknowledges early in his film that it isn't "Gone With the Wind." But it is a curious and winning documentary. It's both an attempt to document the street art movement and a bemused examination about why the movie failed in that mission.
Much of the joy of the film is the footage of artists like Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Invader -- normally such camera-shy folk -- scrambling across rooftops like burglars. It's also about the man they entrusted to document their work: an enthusiastic, mutton-chopped Frenchman named Thierry Guetta.
Things unravel right around the time Guetta remakes himself as "Mister Brainwash," leaving Banksy to take up the movie and ponder whether art is a bit of a joke.
