For me, great movies often center around a journey of self
discovery. It might be a physical journey, but more often it is about a main
character learning something about themselves and their world. As a fan of Ira
Glass’ This American Life for many years, I knew Mike Birbiglia’s story because
he told it on the show. I knew he was the guy who sleepwalked and ended up jumping out
a window. That story has become a great Indie film--a sleeper if you will--called Sleepwalk With Me.
Matt Pandamiglio (Birbiglia) tells his story in flashbacks
as we see him in present day driving around New York. The film story is a little
different than Mike's real life story because in writing this journey film, the
writers tightened up and reorganized the story to make it more dramatically
satisfying. The purpose of art could be said to make life better than it was.
In his film world, Matt’s story begins with he and Abby, his
girlfriend of several years, renting an apartment together. Even though Matt is obviously not ready for the commitment, he doesn’t want to hurt Abby’s feelings. Later they go
to his sister’s engagement party and he begins the first of several episodes of
physically walking in his sleep. (In reality, Mike had sleepwalked as a kid.)
Matt is a struggling stand-up comic who has less than 10 minutes of weak material.
His father harps on his need for commitment and success, so Matt begins working
with an agent who gets him some of the worst gigs possible--forcing him to
drive long distances for little money. As
the film progresses, we see Mike begin to realize there is comic material in his
real life and see him grow as a comedian. The more successful he is, the
further apart he finds himself from his girl friend Abby (Lauren Ambrose).
In
one beautifully edited scene, he returns home, feeling guilty for having sex on the road, and asks
Abby to marry him, even though he knows they should break up. Rather than give
us the whole lengthy speeches, the editor does jump cuts and nails for us the
feelings of the two characters. When he finally asks Abby to marry him, we know
he can’t believe he’s saying it.
As pressures build, Matt’s sleepwalking increases;
until the final real life moment that he literally jumps through a second story window of a La
Quinta Inn.
Mike Birbiglia is charming as Matt. He reminds me of Jules
Feiffer’s Bernard Mergendeiler. Not a
strikingly handsome leading man type, Mike is instead someone like a Seth Rogan
that you immediately want to protect and comfort and with whom you want to share a few beers and some laughs. Birbiglia is surrounded by wonderfully strong supporting actors,
especially, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane (as his mother), James Rebhorn (his
father), and Sondra James (his agent).
I loved the film and so did the audience at the Music Box. Great script with comedy and pathos,
engaging actors, beautifully filmed and cut, this is a film I highly recommend. SEE THIS FILM. If it’s not at a theatre near you, ask the local manager why not.
Sleepwalk with Me (2012) *****
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