The daily life of a singer/songwriter, especially on the road and in the studio, can be a solitary one. José Gonzalez, who is constantly in his head, contemplating things like the power brain and photons, is no different.

In the film The Extraordinary Life of Jose Gonzalez, Gonzalez himself describes his is song writing process as frustratingly slow, a rhythm that sets the tone for this film. The film combines methods of video diary, surveillance camera, concert footage, tour documentation and charming animation by Per Isak Snalls to piece together what seems to be the quiet, introspective life of Gonzalez. The film uses footage from across eight different countries and often in the footage used, very little is happening. There is reading, sleeping, brushing teeth and waiting backstage for a show.

I would have liked to see more close-up footage of Gonzalez’s hands during performance. Because he is a trained classical guitarist, the deep and rich sound that comes from the one instrument is absolutely breathtaking. Detail like the movement of fingers on the strings is something that you really can’t see live, so I was disappointed that the film caught Gonzalez 90% from the back, or focused on his face.

While the film moves rather slowly, there are fabulous moments of humor and intimacy: Gonzalez on the bus with his girlfriend/bandmate, falling asleep on the plane, dancing band members, making fun of photos on the wall of University Professors, a bizarre scene with a mutated pig-man that I am still struggling to understand and yes, nose-picking.

Snalls’ animation runs the gamut of illustrating Gonzalez’s fascination of physics as well as the story of how his parents fled Argentinean political and social upheaval of the mid-70s and found themselves in Sweden. There is a fabulously weird animated segment when a fully-grown and bearded Gonzalez climbs out of his mother’s vagina.

For someone who is already fan of the beautiful and rich music of Gonzalez, it is enough to carry you through the film. Otherwise you might have found it a little slow, just like his songwriting process. But the result is beautiful and honest.

Did you see the film? What did you think?

The 2011 Noise Pop Film Series runs until Sunday night at the Viz Cinema and ATA. Tickets are $10