Clarity and comedy both stem from truth, a fact that US comedian Mike Birbiglia goes to great lengths to state. In character as fictional struggling comic Matt Pandamiglio, the writer, director and star of the semi-autobiographical Sleepwalk with Me immediately addresses the camera to ensure the accuracy of his story is understood, and while such an overt act may seem laboured, the bittersweet awkwardness of his delivery and the evident honesty of the film that follows is as authentic and resonant as it is insightful and understated.
As a child, Matt dreamed of working in rap, pizza or humour; as an adult, the latter sees him tend bar more often than take the stage. His state of arrested professional development is matched by his emotional immaturity, as his inability to commit to his long-term girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose, Wanderlust) attests. This inertia also manifests in his subconscious, with spells of sleepwalking increasing in frequency until he comes to terms with his typical coping mechanisms: avoidance and complacency.
Punctuated by varying fits of hilarity – spanning Matt’s wry comedy act complete with all of its personal revelations, as well as the absurdity of his vivid dreams in which his unvoiced sentiments on the same issues are expressed – Sleepwalk with Me delves delicately into the 30-something malaise, unachieved hopes, unmet expectations, and uncertain outcomes included. But as it charts Matt’s journey to acceptance, composure stems from the chaos and carefully-calculated craziness of his life, with the need to embrace all of life’s intricacies and eccentricities always apparent.
The film’s literary and theatrical origins are evident; it is based on Birbiglia’s applauded off-Broadway, one-man show of the same name, and the best-selling book that followed: Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories. However, the first-time feature helmer and his similarly untested co-scribe and co-director Seth Barrish utilise the fluidity of the cinematic medium to unravel the universality of their protagonist’s fragility.
On screen, much rests on the immensely affable Birbiglia’s shoulders, with the comedian and some-time actor (Cedar Rapids, Your Sister’s Sister) the film’s anchor, guide and most potent testament to Sleepwalk with Me’s veracity and validity. As he expertly conveys the reality of the stand-up circuit, the warmth he radiates infuses the feature with heart and humanity; as he bumbles through his personal dealings – both awake and asleep – he evokes a poignancy that can only come from experience.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Sleepwalk with Me
Directors: Mike Birbiglia, Seth Barrish
USA, 2012, 81 min
Release date: April 4
Distributor: Sharmill Films
Rated: M
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