By Samir Mathur
Contributing writer
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SLEEPWALK WITH ME is playing at Enzian, today through Thursday, (Details)
The very first scene in 'Sleepwalk With Me' sees Mike Birbiglia, the stand-up comedian turned screenwriter, co-director and movie star, telling the audience that everything they are about to see is true. That's an important thing to remember as you watch the film, and at a couple of points, he'll return to remind you of this. 'Sleepwalk With Me' began life as a one-man show, which then led to a book, and now a feature film. Though Birbiglia is a reasonably well-known comedian (he's coming to Orlando in January with his new show, by the way), the involvement of Ira Glass of 'This American Life' will definitely help raise this film's profile, as will the fake-feud with Joss Whedon.
The film balances three separate plot strands from the author's life: he's trying to establish himself as a stand-up comedian; freaking out about settling down with his long-term girlfriend; and dealing with the titular bouts of sleepwalking, which get progressively more serious and dangerous. The character has many flaws: he'd rather drive thousands of miles to do crappy comedy gigs than talk to his girlfriend about his fear of commitment. But Birbiglia's goofy charm help make him come across as a little more sympathetic than he should, but it's his tale after all.
Fantasy sequences that lead to the sleepwalking episodes are elaborate and provide a suitable jolt from the plot's advancement, and for a comedy nerd like me, it was very fun to see people like Marc Maron, Eugene Mirman, David Wain and Kristen Schaal in small roles. From what I've heard, this is the rare film that accurately conveys the life of a stand-up comedian: long drives, disappointing crowds, solitude, green-room camaraderie. You see the character's evolution from a guy telling so-so jokes about stick insects, to mining his own life and experiences for material, and the audience reactions reflect the change.
As you might expect from a story that has already been told in a variety of other mediums, not everything works perfectly in the film. The ending feels abrupt, and some of the wall-breaking narratives get in the way of the story. But Birbiglia is a great observer of little character details - his mom loves ordering cakes from the Internet; an embittered comic is jealous of another comedian who owns a wiffle ball stadium - and this film has enough heart, laughs and pizza-neck-pillows, to win over audiences. Catch it while you can.
The film balances three separate plot strands from the author's life: he's trying to establish himself as a stand-up comedian; freaking out about settling down with his long-term girlfriend; and dealing with the titular bouts of sleepwalking, which get progressively more serious and dangerous. The character has many flaws: he'd rather drive thousands of miles to do crappy comedy gigs than talk to his girlfriend about his fear of commitment. But Birbiglia's goofy charm help make him come across as a little more sympathetic than he should, but it's his tale after all.
Fantasy sequences that lead to the sleepwalking episodes are elaborate and provide a suitable jolt from the plot's advancement, and for a comedy nerd like me, it was very fun to see people like Marc Maron, Eugene Mirman, David Wain and Kristen Schaal in small roles. From what I've heard, this is the rare film that accurately conveys the life of a stand-up comedian: long drives, disappointing crowds, solitude, green-room camaraderie. You see the character's evolution from a guy telling so-so jokes about stick insects, to mining his own life and experiences for material, and the audience reactions reflect the change.
As you might expect from a story that has already been told in a variety of other mediums, not everything works perfectly in the film. The ending feels abrupt, and some of the wall-breaking narratives get in the way of the story. But Birbiglia is a great observer of little character details - his mom loves ordering cakes from the Internet; an embittered comic is jealous of another comedian who owns a wiffle ball stadium - and this film has enough heart, laughs and pizza-neck-pillows, to win over audiences. Catch it while you can.
