-Written by Kyle Bain.
Flipside is a documentary that follows a small record store in rural New Jersey. As its storied history seems to be coming to an end, Flipside hopes to rekindle what it once had, and a former employee looks to breathe life back into an important piece of his story.
The first twenty-five minutes of the film are cumbersome, frumpy, chaotic. In short, it’s a goddamn mess. Writer-Director Chris Wilcha tells his own story for some time, a good portion of the film really–and in the moment it’s disturbingly annoying. I don’t give a shit about Wilcha’s life…at least I didn’t think that I did.
As Flipside progresses, and more and more individuals come into the fold, it’s clear why Wilcha did what he did. Every tidbit of information that Wilcha provides viewers plays a role in what exists throughout the rest of Flipside. Wilcha doesn’t play this safe, taking a massive risk toward the start of the film by inundating viewers with his story rather than something that may start the film off with a bang–and I think it pays off. He doesn’t go for fun at first, but rather he goes for what is necessary for the rest of the film.
What I initially believed hindered the film, what I thought would be a detriment to the film’s success ultimately becomes the most important part of Flipside. Wilcha creates something uniquely intelligent, as he forces his viewers to play close attention and constantly recall information from the film’s opening act. There’s certainly a chance that viewers drift from the screen in that opening act, however, I sincerely believe that Wilcha does what he needs to in order to appeal to viewers throughout the grand scheme of Flipside. I’m not sure that there is a better way for Flipside to begin–as we are constantly being called back to it, constantly being asked to reevaluate what has transpired and what role it plays in the rest of the film.
I recently expressed that I’ve become relatively disenchanted by the way in which documentaries are trending. I’ve found them to be difficult to watch, as writers and directors of the craft often approach them with stark simplicity rather than doing anything other than presenting the world with facts (even if those facts aren’t accurate). Flipside is slightly different from the rest–in the best way. I still believe that Wilcha sticks to simplicity, remains true to his story rather than developing some massive spectacle for the world to gawk at. What he does different, however, is the fact that he is able to challenge his viewers–entice them to remain focused throughout and piece together the many stories and characters that are introduced throughout. Flipside is unique for sure, while still sticking closely enough to a formula that is tried and true.
My discontent with recent documentaries plagued my mind as I turned on Flipside, and through the first act of the film, I was certain that this would continue to antagonize me throughout. I most certainly jumped the gun here, as Wilcha is a stellar storyteller and Flipside is a master class on documentary filmmaking.
Directed by Chris Wilcha.
Written by Joe Beshenkovsky, Adam Samuel, Goldman, & Chris Wilcha.
Starring Judd Apatow, Monica Bill Barnes, Anna Bass, Elaine Didyk, Don Dondiego, Jr., Ira Glass, etc
8.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
