The Promise of Sleep

If you’re geeky like me, you probably listen to NPR.  And if you listen to NPR, you probably listen to This American Life hosted by Ira Glass.  And if you listen to TAL, you’ve probably heard of TAL contributor and comedian Mike Birbiglia.  So what’s the point of all these if/thens, then?  Birbiglia co-writes, co-directs, and stars in the new indie film Sleepwalk with Me.  Oh, and Ira Glass is also a producer.

In Sleepwalk with Me, Birbiglia plays Matt Pandamiglio, a slub-ish man-child, who is trying to launch a stand-up comedy career and struggling in his relationship with his longtime girlfriend.  In the midst of this, he develops a sleepwalking disorder that ultimately leads him to jump through a closed second story hotel window, nearly severing his femoral artery.  The experience puts his life and relationship into harsh perspective.  Did I mention this was a comedy?  While I didn’t laugh out loud as much as other audience members, I found Birbiglia’s self-deprecating humor to be endearing and relatable.  This is especially true when Birbiglia talks to the camera, drawing you into the conversation on the ups and downs of Matt's life with a punchline. 

Sleepwalk with Me opens in Atlanta 9/21 at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.