Sunday, September 16, 2012
Atlantic Film Festival Sleepwalk With Me
Slapstick somnambulism
Posted by Jaime Forsythe on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 12:34 PM
Sleepwalk With Me is a trip into the brain of comedian Mike Birbiglia, who wrote, directed, and stars in this mostly-autobiographical romantic comedy. Adapted from Birbiglia’s book and off-Broadway show, the film tells the story of aspiring comedian Matt Pandamiglio, whose relationship begins to flounder in uncertainty just as his stand up career is blossoming. Meanwhile, his neuroses are manifesting as a rather alarming sleep disorder that causes him to physically enact his dreams.
Fans of Birbiglia will have heard these jokes before, but it’s fun to see his anecdotes coaxed into a narrative where characters are fleshed out and given room to breathe, while Birbiglia’s pet fixations remain intact (notably, pizza). Co-written by This American Life host Ira Glass, who appears in a quick cameo, Sleepwalk works as a feature because Birbiglia is as much a storyteller as he is a comedian, and the film has heart as well as big laughs.
It also doesn’t hurt that the supporting cast is a delight. Six Feet Under’s Lauren Ambrose displays her comedic chops as Birbiglia’s voice coach girlfriend, while Kristen Schaal is perfectly deadpan as the host of a college lip sync contest, and Carol Kane has some hilarious moments as Birbiglia’s mom. If only all rom coms were as genuinely funny as this.
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