Sleepwalk with me Review

     The best way to describe Mike Birbiglia's semi-autobiographical film "Sleepwalk with Me" is to say that it functions as sort of a more light hearted and sentimental movie version of the television series "Louie."It retains the stand up comedy segments and the feeling of subjective realism, that is things told as they are to the character if not exactly how they truly are. The differences between the two are that Sleepwalk With Me is silly where Louie is bizarre and it replaces Louie's cynical indifference with a more hopeful and emotional feeling. The final similarity is that both works are very entertaining and meaningful pieces of film defined by their unique vision.
     Sleepwalk with Me is about Matt Pandamiglia, an aspiring stand up comedian who has been in a relationship for the past eight years. When his sister gets married he must deal with the expectations that he will get married while also trying to make it as a stand up comedian. This is not to mention the fact that he is starting to have a serious problem with sleepwalking.
     This film, though fictional, gives a sense that most of the events are based on fact. Weird things happen in the film, but people in general act the way that people would act towards certain situations. This is in contrast to many comedies in which people act however moves the story forward. It allows us to connect more with the characters, because they feel more like people who could exist in the real world. This is important because, while the film is very funny, one gets the sense that it is a story that is very personal and meaningful to Birbiglia, who not only plays a barely fictional version of himself, but also writes and directs the film.
     Some of the finest segments of the film are those in which Birbiglia speaks directly to the audience, breaking the fourth wall. These scenes give the sense of a story being told, and they provide some of the funniest lines of the film. The storytelling format seems to be something that is very comfortable to Birbiglia, who, as a stand-up comedian, is very comfortable with this way of getting an idea across.
     So in the end this film does tell a nice story with fine performances and an entertaining and accessible sense of humor. Maybe it doesn't have the edginess that comedies nowadays seem to strive for, but it is a film that remains funny and heartfelt throughout, and is a very well made and realistic movie. And I can further respect the fact that it can be funny without offending anybody. It is a film that may be hard to find, but that I recommend to all, even those who don't know anything about stand up comedy.
Grade: A-