Butler's Cinema Scene

“SLEEPWALK WITH ME”  My rating : B

90 minutes | No MPAA rating

Standup comic Mike Birbiglia makes a way more than adequate feature directing debut with “Sleepwalk With Me,” a big screen adaptation of his one-man stage show that suggests a genuine cinematic talent in the making.

Like most good movies, Birbiglia’s semi-autobiographical effort works on several levels.

On one it addresses the dreams of aspiring standup comic Matt Pandamiglio (Birbiglia). Matt tends bar in a comedy club but lives for those few moments when he’s allowed to climb on stage and try out his own material.  Problem is, Matt is almost painfully shy and tongue tied and, at first, anyway, his halting, uncertain delivery generates more pain than pleasure.

“Sleepwalk With Me” follows Matt’s gradual climb to comedy competence and, eventually, excellence.

On another level, this is a love story.  Matt has been seeing Abby (Lauren Ambrose) for several years. She’s sweet and smart and seems to love him for who he is. And while she doesn’t put pressure on him – at least not initially – Matt realizes that the rest of the world expects him to produce a ring and make  their relationship permanent.

And he’s terrified. It’s not like Matt is some sort of studly swinger whose romantic services are much in demand. It’s pretty obvious that Abby is out of his league and he’s lucky to have her.

But he just can’t commit. The very thought petrifies him. It would be so, so … adult, and that’s a state Matt seems to have been running away from all his life. And so he uses his slowly blossoming comedy career as an excuse for staying on the road.

And finally there’s the sleepwalking.  Matt – and Birbiglia in real life – suffer from an acute sleep disorder. They will arise in the middle of the night and do all sorts of things – dangerous things – while still sleeping.

Mike Berbiglia, Lauren Amrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane

Birbiglia has been in treatment for years for this condition. But his fictional alter ego is slow to admit anything is wrong, even when he awakens to find himself perched precariously on a narrow kitchen countertop.  A hair-raising real incident from Birbiglia’s life – once while sleepwalking he ran full tilt through a second-story motel room window, severely gashing his leg – is recreated for the movie.

All this might sound a bit dreary, but here’s the thing: “Sleepwalk With Me” is terribly funny.  Birbiglia’s Matt often addresses us through the camera, and his semi-bumbling, average-guy demeanor is  hugely appealing.

Moreover, the three threads of the story are so carefully  entwined (the screenplay is credited to Birbiglia, his brother Joe, Ira Glass of NPR’s “This American Life” and actor Seth Barrish) that you can’t simply call this a relationship movie, a struggling comic movie or an affliction-of-the-week movie. All three stories dovetail seamlessly.

Shot on a shoestring, “Sleepwalk…” looks good. And the supporting cast, particularly the ever-reliable Ambrose and James Rebhorn and Carol Kane as Matt’s parents, is just fine.

The film is just the latest step on Birbiglia’s march to become a king of all media. He has a wildly successful comedy career both on TV and in clubs, his one-man plays have pulled down some major awards, he has written a best selling memoir  and recorded three wildly successful comedy albums.  He’s a talent to watch.

|   Robert W. Butler