Sleepwalk With Me

IFC Films

Sleepwalk with Me starts out like many indie comedies do: One half of a restless couple struggles to find himself/herself as well as ambition while the relationship suffers. What sets this film apart from the others, though, is the main character’s voice. Written, directed by and starring stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk with Me is based on true events. He really did have strange sleepwalking episodes during which he’d awaken in the shower with all his clothes on or standing on the edge of a dresser. But this film is not just about the journey he takes from dreams to reality while sleeping—it’s also about his transformation as a comedian, from telling bad jokes to being an honest comic. Birbiglia is not the world’s funniest man. He has his moments, though, and in watching this movie you see a real interpretation of how art imitates life. You see a touching look at relationships and an unflinching glimpse at the reality of stand-up comedy. Quite frankly, Sleepwalk with Me is the perfect example of a coming-of-age-as-a-thirtysomething film in this millennium, capturing the struggle of a generation within the specific framework of one man’s experience.