Sleepwalk With Me [Blu-ray] by MPI HOME VIDEO

Actors

• Mike Birbiglia
• Lauren Ambrose
• Kevin Barnett
• Alice Blythe
• Alberto Bonilla

Format

• Widescreen

Editorial Review

The standup comedian and writer Mike Birbiglia is a standout of the newer breed of performers who draw on the pain and darkness of their real lives to build their comedy acts. In Sleepwalk with Me, Birbiglia has repurposed material from his book and live show (made famous by his appearances with Ira Glass on This American Life) in a movie that is both hilarious and sometimes painful, built as it is on the comedy of conflict and self-analysis. Birbiglia starts by addressing the camera directly, assuring us that what follows is a true story, even though he's playing a slightly altered version of himself named Matt Pandamiglio (all names of those close to him have been changed to protect the innocent). Nevertheless, we believe that everything happened exactly as he shows us in a series of choice vignettes that combine anecdotal sketches with a narrative through-stroke that is often poignantly dramatic. Matt recounts his battles with sleepwalking and the often dangerous situations he finds himself in while acting out his dreams. This difficulty is only one of the stressors in his eight-year relationship with girlfriend Abby (an adorable Lauren Ambrose), who longs for marriage but is nagged by doubts about Matt's commitment. The anxiety is entirely mutual. Matt toils as a bartender/busboy in a comedy club until the breaks finally start coming, and he sets out on a grueling road schedule of standup gigs that give him a true sense of what he's meant to do. With a line that pretty much sums up Matt's purposeless, meandering quest for answers, he realizes it's not such a great thing that “everyone thinks the best thing about my life is my girlfriend.” Pursuing his newfound dream turns out to have some nightmarish consequences, but it's clearly the right thing for him to do. Comedy that is spawned by personal agony is a hot topic these days, with a plethora of performers trying to cast away their demons on stage, on cable TV, or over podcast airwaves. Birbiglia is part of a school that includes the likes of Louis C.K. and Marc Maron (who has a choice cameo): comedians who dissect the unpleasant business of show and explore the punishing world behind the comedy curtain to positive effect. They also use their standup as a means of purging but also reliving the terrible parts of their lives as entertainment for others. And in the case of Sleepwalk with Me, it is outstanding entertainment. The self-referential aspects of Birbiglia's tortuous analysis never feel self-serving, and his character gains our sympathies easily for all the tormented neuroses he explores that sound so familiar. Woody Allen comes to mind in Birbiglia's persona, and Annie Hall in the style and structure of his film. Though the style of the standup comic has changed since Woody's heyday, comedy really hasn't. Funny is always going to be funny. –Ted Fry