For film festival veterans, there are several red flags in the plot description reverse side.
First and foremost, this is a documentary about a director who turns the camera on himself, a move that can lead to an incredibly vulnerable exploration of the self, but more often than not leads to a ruthlessly self-indulgent self-examination. Second, documentary filmmaker Christopher Wilcha looks back on his past from the precipice of a midlife crisis, a ripe starting point for wallowing in it. Third, his friend and collaborator in this effort was Judd Apatow, a contemporary comedy giant also known for haunting lengths and emotional excess. Yet despite all the potential pitfalls that might push this picture into solipsistic abyss, reverse side Skip each one smartly and land on something interesting, thought-provoking, and sublime.
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It’s worth noting that Wilcha’s initial tone might unnerve more jaded viewers, a real risk considering his primary audience is likely to be angsty Gen-Xers. But he thoughtfully broadens the focus, connecting his story of artistic ambition, capitalist compromise and fear of death to that of other artists and creatives – including eccentric TV personality and TV legend David Milch Milch).Deadwood, NYPD Blue). Together they form a patchwork that invites viewers to reflect on their own lives and allows us to take comfort in the fact that we are not alone.
Be careful though. If you haven’t second-guessed your choice yet, you may be hesitant again reverse side You’re done.
what is reverse side about?
A record store owner checks his inventory.
Image source: Oscilloscope Labs
Named after the New Jersey record store where Wilcha worked as a teenager. reverse side Several stories happen simultaneously. The first story is about Wilcha, who became a rising filmmaker 20 years ago with his challenging documentaries Target shoots first. There, he mocked his survival job at Columbia House and criticized the stodgy capitalism of his parents’ generation. In those days, “selling out” was a cultural crime, although whatever your principles, the rent was earned.
Over the years, Wilcha collaborated with Ira Glass on further documentaries this american lifetelevision show (which won him a 2008 Primetime Emmy Award) and filmed a behind-the-scenes special on Apatow’s debacle interesting people. However, his side hustle started to pay off and his passion project sat forgotten on a dusty hard drive rack. Before he knows it, he’s no longer the “fucking man” documentary filmmaker, he’s a commercial director who fears he’s become the very thing he once hated – and that’s exactly what happened.
within on the other hand, Wilcha confronts his failure to complete these films by bringing footage from those films into this film. At first, their inclusion seems almost masochistic, as he reveals lovely interviews and patient, evocative footage, all of which prompt us to imagine what might have been. It seemed, then, that these forgotten items would be the fuel to complete a project about the record store of the same name, whose owner is an aging connoisseur whose hoarding aesthetic and jerky smell resonates with the modern vinyl collector. Out of place. But as Wilcha weaves from one story to another, mirroring his previous jumps in projects, he ties seemingly disparate stories together into a common cause
Popular stories that can be mixed and matched
reverse side is a story of failure and forgiveness.
A group of people posed for a selfie.
Image source: Oscilloscope Labs
One of the projects is a documentary about a legendary jazz photographer. Another intends to follow radio producer/podcast personality Starlee Kine as she encounters writer’s block while drafting a book. The decades-long footage has fresh meaning, even though the photos have passed and Kane’s book has never been published. They all spoke of the challenges of a career in the arts. What drives you? What are you afraid of? What’s stopping you from pursuing that dream project you want so badly?
While it may sound like a topic fraught with self-loathing, Wilcha is romantic about every chaotic element of creation. He connects with the struggles of these artists; the use of close-ups as his interviewees reveal their secrets reflects how close he became to them and how close he still feels to them. We are invited in to symbolically share the same air, filled with panic and possibility. Like his subject, his plot twists and turns, reflecting on the nostalgic and sweet past, musing on a present that feels ungraspable, and worrying about a future we can’t really predict. Amidst it all, Wilcha finds humor and humanity — which may come as no surprise to fans This American life.
Ella Glass speaks into the microphone.
Image source: Oscilloscope Labs
Perhaps the funniest moment was when Judd Apatow got a FaceTime call from Wilcha’s mother, who was furious with him because her son had moved her grandson across the country to Los Angeles. It’s a shockingly intimate moment, and Mrs. Wilcha doesn’t hold back, not to be polite or for her son’s camera. Appa takes the hits like a prizefighter, but each feels genuine sadness as they realize that a seemingly simple decision can have such powerful consequences.
here is the heart reverse side. Wilcha examines not only his own life and shortcomings, but also those who tell him their stories. In these tapes he discovered moments of loss, grace, pain and tenderness. His story does not center on himself, but he does expose his own subjectivity. The interviews aren’t shot with unflinching wide shots in desolate rooms. These people are curled up on a couch, bumped against a battered office chair, or leaning against a battered box of record sleeves. There is no pretended distance between him and his subjects because they are interconnected. Our every interaction is guided through Wilcha’s gentle and sustained narrative. However, his tone is more familiar than that of the tour guide, and we are not just spectators, but also fellow travelers on this voyage.
reverse side It’s about more than one person or one record store. It’s about the pursuit of finding artistic and professional purpose. But more importantly, the finished film is about forgiving yourself for the things that didn’t go as planned, and making peace with the present by using your past failures to create something new. It’s both beautiful and inspiring, and it might inspire you to do some incredible self-reflection. Good luck.
reverse side Now playing in theaters.
Updated: May. March 30, 2024 2:51 pm ET “Flipside” was reviewed during its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. This article has been republished for theatrical release.
