Critic Reviews
-
David Edelstein, New York Magazine
From start to finish, his character, called Matt Pandamiglio, is all by his lonesome -- reaching out of the fog. He's a funny fog person.
-
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
The film acts as both a diary of a sidewinding comic stylist finding his style, almost by accident, and a reminder to all post-collegiate boyfriends and girlfriends that "OK" probably isn't good enough for either party.
-
Tom Long, Detroit News
This is a movie for anyone who's ever been unsure, and surely that's everyone.
-
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
A smart, neurotic slice-of-life comedy about a stand-up comic with confidence issues, commitment issues, and career issues.
-
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Birbiglia's pleasingly nasal delivery and agreeable presence holds it together.
-
Christopher Orr, The Atlantic
I liked Sleepwalk With Me-just not nearly as much as I would've liked to have liked it.
-
Adam Lowes, HeyUGuys
The mix of broad laughs and excruciating truths makes for a highly watchable and intuitive experience.
-
Shaun Munro, What Culture
A riotous breakthrough for Mike Birbiglia, whose humanist comedy says a lot about modern relationships that many of us won't be prepared to admit.
-
David 'Mad Dog' Bradley, Rip It Up
Walking a fine line between darkly compassionate comedy, biting reality, striking low-budget fantasy and harsh psychological honesty, this modest but most disarming offering from funnyman Birbiglia is one of those pics that unexpectedly grows on you.
-
Jim Schembri, 3AW
Though the sleep-walking episodes are funny, it's the way Mike Birbiglia captures the pains of performing comedy to tiny rooms that really fly.
-
Tom Clift, Moviedex
As entertaining as the movie can be, it's the smaller, more poignant material in between the big laughs that makes the final product so charming.
-
Matthew Toomey, ABC Radio Brisbane
It takes a while to find its feet but Sleepwalk With Me develops into an interesting film about an interesting person.
-
Cara Nash, FILMINK (Australia)
...just like the most memorable stand-up routines, there's a twinge of tragedy and pathos in the mix that make the laughs linger and the story stick.
-
CJ Johnson, ABC Radio (Australia)
Really, this film lives or dies on the charm of its protagonist. Luckily, Birbiglia is very charming indeed.
-
Meredith Borders, Badass Digest
I guess there are only so many times you can tell a story - even a great story - before even you are tired of hearing it.
-
Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
Sleepwalk With Me is implausibly appealing. The idea of someone not liking this picture is implausible. It would be without plause.
-
Rima Sabina Aouf, Concrete Playground
The idea of the man-boy who can't commit is rather '90s, and neither the film's narrative nor style brings it forward two decades, to where it should be.
-
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
Moments of comedy and drama are preserved, but even at 81 minutes the film seems a tad long
-
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
Based on an off-Broadway play and novel, the humour is cumulative, emanating from the characters and situations and resulting in a bubbling feel-good snapshot of life from the view point of an aspiring comic with an oddball slant on things
-
Simon Foster, Screen-Space
Sleepwalk With Me is a disposably sweet 'Annie Hall' rehash that achieves its minor ambitions with unremarkable efficiency.
Read all 24 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
-
I am a big Mike Birbiglia fan, so I may be a bit biased here..but...I thought that this movie was VERY charming.
-
This adorable, quarky film is very fitting for Birbiglia. Fans know of him as a successful comedian, but we have to watch his younger self struggle to find the standup routine we already have in our heads. Meanwhile, the current, successful self weaves his way through the movie,… More
This adorable, quarky film is very fitting for Birbiglia. Fans know of him as a successful comedian, but we have to watch his younger self struggle to find the standup routine we already have in our heads. Meanwhile, the current, successful self weaves his way through the movie, narrating this tale of yore with pieces of his stand-up in an abrupt, almost rushed way that ends up creating a jarring, uncanny valley-like effect where lines that are hilarious in their original form are suddenly not. However, the visual reenactments of the sleepwalk episodes described in his routine were absurd and funny, and the cameos (even some Mitch Hedberg material) were a nice, warming touch.
-
The success of movie like this, which certainly won't wow you with exciting or suspenseful moments, hinges on the likability of the main character, and Mike Birbiglia is a pretty likable guy in that sad-sack, Louie kind of way. I don't think he's particularly funny, at… More
The success of movie like this, which certainly won't wow you with exciting or suspenseful moments, hinges on the likability of the main character, and Mike Birbiglia is a pretty likable guy in that sad-sack, Louie kind of way. I don't think he's particularly funny, at least not from this movie (I am unfamiliar with his standup), but his movie is sweet and smile-inducing, though I certainly never laughed out loud. There's a certain mood you have to be in to really enjoy Sleepwalk With Me, and if you're in that mood (the "quirky indie" mood), it might really hit the spot. But don't be surprised if you find it too slow and unfulfilling.
-
An insightful view on love vs. social acceptance, stand-up comedy, and sleep disorders.
-
Sleepwalk with Me plays to stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia's strengths. At certain key moments he addresses the viewer à la Woody Allen as he tells his story. The gimmick works because he's funniest when he riffing on a theme: the world of a comic and the anxiety over his… More
Sleepwalk with Me plays to stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia's strengths. At certain key moments he addresses the viewer à la Woody Allen as he tells his story. The gimmick works because he's funniest when he riffing on a theme: the world of a comic and the anxiety over his own relationship. By looking directly into the camera, he's able to give candid thoughts on his everyday existence. As pressure to marry and have kids increases, so does his sleepwalking disorder. We soon witness the potentially life threatening results. The narrative ultimately climaxes to a satisfying, albeit somber conclusion. And that's ok. Despite the fact that Matt is a most frustrating individual, he's also very funny. And since this is a comedy, that's quite alright
fastfilmreviews.wordpress.com
-
Matt: Abby, there's a jackal in the room!
So I have been told that I have sleepwalked before. This realization has dawned on me as well, as I have found myself in weird situations in the dead of night before, but it has never lead to anything that has put me into harm's… More
Matt: Abby, there's a jackal in the room!
So I have been told that I have sleepwalked before. This realization has dawned on me as well, as I have found myself in weird situations in the dead of night before, but it has never lead to anything that has put me into harm's way. In saying this, I do not think it necessarily puts me right in tune with what writer/director/star of Sleepwalk with Me, Mike Birbiglia, has gone through, but it did seem like an honest and easy enough hook to draw people in, so there you go. For those still with me on this, along with being a story about a man who developed a sleepwalking disorder based on the stress in his life, this film delivers a relationship story and a story about a burgeoning comedian who found his way. It is a scrappy little film, based on a true story, but it is quite entertaining and endearing.
read the whole review at thecodeiszeek.com
-
A surprisingly great comedy from comedian Mike Birbiglia, who along with starring also directed and wrote the movie. Sleepwalk With Me has a number of hilarious moments mixed in with more serious ones and a lot of honest commentary about relationships. If you watch this, you'll… More
A surprisingly great comedy from comedian Mike Birbiglia, who along with starring also directed and wrote the movie. Sleepwalk With Me has a number of hilarious moments mixed in with more serious ones and a lot of honest commentary about relationships. If you watch this, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised by how funny and relatable it is.
-
Sleepwalk With Me is not a great film, but it is certainly an interesting one. A very interesting one that takes on many subjects and conquers them all with up-front, honest interpretation. A brisk and funny film told through the mind of comedian turned playwright turned filmmaker… More
Sleepwalk With Me is not a great film, but it is certainly an interesting one. A very interesting one that takes on many subjects and conquers them all with up-front, honest interpretation. A brisk and funny film told through the mind of comedian turned playwright turned filmmaker Mike Birbiglia. Birbiglia is a standard guy, but he has a knack for the mundane and making zingers of assessments out of everyday life and the choices we all face that we will always question in the back of our minds. The title comes from the through line joke that has Birbiglia suffering from a rare disorder known as REM. During REM sleep the brain is highly active, causing our protagonist Matt Pandamiglio (Birbiglia) to act out his dreams and in turn putting himself in some pretty dangerous situations. These actions during his sleep get increasing worse as his fears in dealing with longtime girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose) and her need to get married and start a family put more and more pressure on Birbiglia who desperately wants to be a comedian but finds himself going nowhere fast. Birbiglia chose to address the audience directly at certain segments in the film which provide an insight into his side of the story that the film couldn't provide otherwise. It is a nice call as it allows us to get a sense of the man and endear with him through his trials as a stand up and his faults as a boyfriend. The inside look at stand up comedy is surely the highlight for me though. Watching Matt go from a timid stage presence to perfecting his delivery and realizing his strengths as he develops his act. It is a fascinating world and to see it fleshed out on film like this is reason enough to see this film.
-
It lacks an ending, but Bribiglia is so determined to be honest (almost brutally so) about his personal life and his standup career that I enjoyed it despite the obvious flaws.
-
Interesting, insightful persona study, some fine work between the leads.
-
As a man who occasionally sleep-talks I can relate to the lead character in this funny, bittersweet film about one man trying to work out what he wants from life and discovering that maybe it isn't the woman he has been spending the last eight years with. The to-camera monologues… More
As a man who occasionally sleep-talks I can relate to the lead character in this funny, bittersweet film about one man trying to work out what he wants from life and discovering that maybe it isn't the woman he has been spending the last eight years with. The to-camera monologues are witty and I found Birbiglia very likeable in the role (probably because he was playing himself). The film doesn't go where you expect and that is refreshing. Ambrose is adorable as the woman in his life but I found the scenes bewteen the two of them quite difficult because I think she looks so much like my wife! It's a short, slight film with no big messages but I enjoyed it's honesty.
Read all 11 featured audience ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
