Glitch in the Grid

This film really flew under the radar which is too bad because if pretty great. Jay Masonek an alienated artist from the social and economic superstructure, or the grid as he calls it. Hoping a change of scenery will help get him out of his funk, Masonek's cousins Jeff and Eric invite him to crash in their Hollywood apartment. Of course, once he has moved in, they start to wish they had never suggested it, particularly Eric. Yet, when he is not skateboarding or scanning Craig's List for scammer casting notices, Masonek pursues a genuine quest for divine guidance.

As director, animator, editor, and half a dozen other things including co-star, Eric Leiser creates visually striking interludes rendered with a combination of stop-motion animation and time- lapse photography. Symbolically evocative, they often communicate the film's themes more dramatically than the mumblecorish live action scenes. While Leiser can create a distinctive fast talking lizard, his characters are not strongly delineated. The manner in which Masonek and his cousins discuss their personal relationships with God is impressively frank and free of irony. Leiser is an enormously talented filmmaker, who simply needs to tighten-up his screen writing or take on a collaborator.

There are times, when Glitch in the Grid feels self-indulgent yet to have made the film in any other way would have been less than authentic. These three characters are, for the most part, playing themselves and it's this spiritual intimacy that provides the film much of its cinematic spark. The film's leading trio seems to struggle with how to maintain any sense of connection in a society that discourages connection, whether it be because of socio-economic stressors or institutional oppression.

Likely to be consider an experimental film by most who view it, Glitch in the Grid incorporates a wide variety of visuals, sounds, movements and music to communicate Leiser's intended sense of magical realism. The film at times plays out equally as documentary, mumblecore, Van Sant introspective and animated expose. The stop motion animation is really inventive along with the music which is the Leiser Brothers strength!