Movie Review - Sleepwalk with Me

Sleepwalk with Me (2012)

Starring Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, and Cristin Milioti

Directed by Mike Birbiglia

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I am not an aficionado of stand-up comedians so Mike Birbiglia was a name that never crossed my radar ever before.  Apparently known for his work on National Public Radio as well as several Off-Broadway one-man shows, I went into Sleepwalk with Me completely blind and I found the semi-autobiographical story simple, sweet, and a nice diversion.

Birbiglia plays Matt Pandamiglio, a guy who tends bar at a stand-up comedy club and occasionally gets to take the stage when some of the talent doesn't show up.  One night, a talent agent shows up at the club and after much prodding Matt convinces her to allow him to do several gigs across the country.  As Matt's popularity grows, he finds himself leaving his lovely longtime girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose) home alone.  While Matt loves Abby, he's quite the commitment-phobe, but after attending his sister's (Cristin Milioti of Broadway's Once) wedding, he feels forced to pop the question and succumb to the idea of marriage.  Needless to say, Matt's burgeoning career forces both of them to question their relationship and what they both want from love.

Sleepwalk with Me is sappy without a doubt, but its comedy has enough of a bite that it doesn't ever feel too overly sweet.  There's a humorous subplot involving Matt's tendency to sleepwalk (hence the title), funny scenes involving Matt's parents (James Rebhorn and Carol Kane), and some nice stand-up bits peppered throughout that also add to the film's charm.  However, the biggest reason the film works is the scenes between Birbiglia and Ms. Ambrose.  Both have a down-to-earth presence that you want in a movie like this.  Think back to Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle -- yes, they were stars, but they felt "normal" and that's what you feel when watching this movie, too.  Don't get me wrong, this is no Sleepless in Seattle (which is one of my favorite movies of all time and in my Personal Canon), but Sleepwalk with Me exudes that same sense of wit, charm, love, and goshdarn niceness that it's certainly worth your time.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

(On a side note, I want to point out that on the poster, there's a quote from Judd Apatow which says "A funny and insightful movie.  I could have watched it for ten hours."  Had Apatow made this, it might have been ten hours long, but this comedy clocks in at something like ninety minutes which is near perfect for a flick like this.)