“Flipside”: A Film Review

Posted: July 23rd, 2024 | Filed under: Cinema | Tags: Movie Review | No Comments »

Yes, this shall be a review of Chris Wilcha’s outstanding documentary “Flipside.”

Which is — I shan’t bury the lede — the best film I’ve seen this year. In several years.

But, as is my wont, I shall wend my way there, starting with Anne Lamott.

Whom I’ve adored from the get go when hearing the author being interviewed decades ago by Terry Gross. She was/ is wise, literate, funny, and the author of the best book on writing I know of, “Bird by Bird.” Which I have recommended and given away copies of many times since.

Lamott writes what are termed, somewhat derogatorily by some, “fix me books.”

And, other than the many of her endeavors I own and have savored, I eschew generic fix me books. (With a lone non-Lamott exception of Richard Carlson’s “DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF . . . and it’s all small stuff.”)

Anyhow, Ms. Lamott, long in 12 step recovery, has the great facility to extrapolate life lessons from every day events and moments. Especially how to turn what we might consider failures of ourselves into changes for the good. They are shared with insight, humor and truly engaging writing.

Filmmaker Wilcha’s film is centered, sorta, kinda (but it’s really much more) on the small town NJ record shop with the title’s name, owned by a guy named Dan. And a rival shop across town. Owned by a different guy named Dan.

But what it’s really about is how, like Lamott, director/craftsmith Wilcha is eventually able to gain insight and serenity within from what he considered previously a career of unfinished projects, a life of failures.

Along the way, with what might seem like diversions, we learn of his experiences with Ira Glass, Judd Apatow, and famed jazz photographer Herman Leonard. There are excursions with screenwriter David Milch, and a fascinating cable TV kid’s show personality Uncle Floyd, interspersed with snippets such as his son’s Bar Mitzvah preparation. Or Wilcha’s stint working for Columbia Record House (8 albums for a penny).

Though it might seem confusing, it is not. It all works as a resonant cinematic collage.

Brilliant in its editing of all the diverse elements, “Flipside” is a revelation.

Lessons are imparted. They penetrate the viewer in a way that entertains.

Bob Dylan got it wrong — it happens — when he wrote, “There’s no success like failure, and failure’s no success at all.”

Wilcha’s film (and Anne Lamott’s writings) are a testament that there can be success from failure, and how dogged introspection and open mindedness can reveal it.

Plus “Flipside” is just a danged fun movie to watch.

The Culture Maven says 👍.

You can stream it for a few bucks at Amazon Prime.

— c d kaplan

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