Sleepwalk With Me
Review by Paul Preston
Welcome to Today I Watched…, a series of posts documenting my new challenge – watch a movie a day for the rest of my life. Keep coming back to TheMovieGuys.net to find out what I watch each day…and get my take on it.
When I see a movie that’s a new release in theaters or for home viewing, I’ll give it a proper review in the “Reviews”, otherwise, I’ll write about it here.
March 14, 2017 – Sleepwalk With Me
Mike Birbiglia is making quite a name for himself as an indie filmmaker. He’s known for stand-up comedy (with a new special out now on Netflix), but I enjoyed his take on the improv world in his most recent directorial effort, Don’t Think Twice, and was inspired today to go back and catch his directorial debut, Sleepwalk With Me.
This is a story no doubt culled from Birbiglia’s time as a road comic, right down to his character’s name being Matt Pandamiglio, just so people can mispronounce it, as I’m sure happened to Birbiglia time and time again in clubs (I’m sure I’ve already misspelled it in this article). The side effect of being a comedian, as other films like Annie Hall and Funny People will tell you, is trying to maintain a meaningful relationship with anyone – friends, lovers, family, etc. In Sleepwalk With Me, Matt is in a long-term relationship with Abby (Lauren Ambrose), and it’s tested when Matt’s road gigs start to pile up, to the point where he suffers from stress-induced sleepwalking fits.
As in Don’t Think Twice, Birbiglia has a knack for truthfulness. In fact, his character starts to have more successful stand-up sets once he can bring himself to be truthful onstage (something also explored in Punchline back in 1988). As evidenced by my love of La La Land, you know I can get behind a story of someone who will do whatever it takes and endure whatever necessary to pursue their artistic dream. Birbiglia coughs up the unkind truths about the stand-up world – the bitter comics, the low-rent venues, the condescension from people who view artistic expression as “petty” and “small-time”. Christ, that grinds my gears, and Birbiglia explores it all.
The late, great James Rebhorn plays one of those supposedly “practical” guys who can only see a job and car in anyone’s future. Rebhorn’s loss is a loss to all casting directors who need a great character actor. And Lauren Ambrose is someone I was unfamiliar with (I knew she was on Six Feet Under, but I’ve never seen it), however, it was quite easy to fall in love with her. She plays one of the more winning, sparkling personalities since Rachel McAdams in The Notebook.
I’d like to see Mike Birbiglia take on every type of comedy in a series of films. In the future, maybe we see the travails of the TV writer or the ups and downs of the sketch comic ‘cause his looks into stand-up and improv so far have been worth watching.
Directed by: Mike Birbiglia
Release Date: April 4, 2013
Run Time: 81 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: PG-13
Distributor: IFC Films
