FRAMING THE UNFRAMABLE // "BANKSY MOST WANTED" // TRIBECA 2020 FILM REVIEW
While it may not shead any new light onto those who are highly acquainted with Banksy or even those who have already sat through the documentary EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, BANKSY MOST WANTED is a great starting point for those interested in learning who the famed and mysterious artist is. The new documentary covers a lot of ground and does so with a very informative and well researched point of view. We see footage from the €1.4 million dollar sale at Sotheby's for his painting of "Girl with Balloon." The highlight, of course, is to see that the moment the gavel hit, indicating the sale was final, the painting began to self-destruct and shred itself, much to the shock of the room. We see the beauty of his climate change protest piece in Port Talbot, the creation of "Mobile Lovers" at a youth club which set off a massive debate on ownership and even the massive undertaking of creating a fake Disneyland called "Dismaland," mocking the house of the mouse directly.
The interviews are also with many heavy hitters, including Banksy's former agent Steve Lazarides, who tell from first-hand experience what the impact and magic is that makes Banksy so unique. Over the years, Banky's identity has stayed a well-kept secret, but it hasn't stopped people from trying to find out who he is. Here, a few of the most famous theories get some light. Claudia Joseph, a journalist at Daily Mail, is convinced that he is a middle class man named Robin Gunningham. Journalist Craig Williams explains how he noticed that Banksy and Massive Attack seemed to always be at the same place at the same time, leading him down a rabbit hole of discoveries. Another links him to Gorillaz band member Jaime Hewlett. All of these theories get screen time and they're all fascinating. Each give a pretty good case that their theory is the correct one. However, it's even more likely that it's absolutely not any of these people, and no one has indeed still figured out who Banksy is. What we do know is that there are a ton of people working with him to make sure his art simply "pops up" out of nowhere (we see a street get closed down to traffic by "construction workers" and when they reopen the street, a giant Banksy has appeared and the so-called construction workers have disappeared.
It's a very loving portrait of the enigma we know and love and it's also a very strong declaration on how important Banksy's own Political statements are. As I said before, you may not learn anything new, but BANKSY MOST WANTED is wonderfully told, playfully executed and a joy to watch.
GRADE: B+
DIRECTED BY Aurèlia Rouvier, Seamus Haley. Selected as part of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival