Keen on becoming a stand-up comedian, a US bartender's quest for success is hindered by his increasingly dangerous sleepwalking habits in this semiautobiographical drama written, directed by and starring Mike Birbiglia. The film offers a decent insight into the behind-the-scenes of stand-up comedy (though Nora Ephron's 'This Is My Life' is still arguably the go-to film for that) and many of the sleepwalking incidents are amusing. Unfortunately, however, Birbiglia's sleepwalking is never central to the film. The majority of screen time is spent on him experiencing cold feet after he is pressured into committing to his longtime girlfriend, and while this is obviously important as a possible cause of his sleepwalking, all of the related domestic drama is very much by the books. Carol Kane and James Rebhorn certainly have their bright moments as Birbiglia's at-times suffocating parents, but the film is more dynamic in the precious few scenes in which Birbiglia is asleep. These sections come particularly well edited as they fluidly bounce between his dreams and the actual actions he is performing, such as balancing dangerously on the edge of a box and taking a shower fully clothed. It would be interesting to learn what actual sleepwalkers make of the film. While inspired by true events, quite a lot of here has clearly been exaggerated, and yet the film also manages to offer some curious insights into the researched causes of unusual sleep habits. Is it all a matter of not eating big meals, using technology or listening to the news before bed? We might never know for sure.

I was so shocked by this film because it seemed to come with great reviews and a lot of people singing it's praises. Maybe I don't get Mike Birbiglia's comedy, maybe it doesn't translate on film. Whatever the reasons this is what I thought:Poor comedian treats his long term girlfriend with total disrespect or honesty and becomes famous, but remains a terrible comedian. The only joke in this film is on the audience for sticking it out.Indie standards are employed to keep you watching even though it becomes clear after a while that this film is going no where. The only redeeming character in it is the father, who can be pretty funny at times with his insistent over-fathering.The character I was most frustrated by was Abby. She goes from being a clearly intelligent, intriguing and honest character to one with little depth or courage. A real shame.

When does sleep walking stop being funny? Fighting a non-existent jackal in the middle of the night is all good fun.Jumping through a second story window because you think there is a missile trained on your location? Welcome to the life of Matt Pandamiglio, a fledgling stand-up comedian trying to figure out his career, his relationship and his future.Perhaps it's little wonder that he's struggling with sleep.Pandamiglio is a thinly veiled alter ego for writer, director and star Mike Birbiglia who has adapted his real life experience for stage, print and now screen.Independently financed, the film has been impressing audiences at film festivals the world over and is now available to British audiences as a download or to watch online from the official website.My interest in Birbiglia stemmed from seeing a spark of Woody Allen in his work, so perhaps it's fitting that Sleepwalk With Me is very much his Annie Hall.The confessional, autobiographical tale is told in New York conversations from Manhattan sidewalks and brownstones.This is also a love story turned on its head, full of introspection and truthful portrayals of that very particular anxiety felt by ... www.ravechild.co.uk

A burgeoning stand-up comedian (Mike Birbiglia) struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore.The story of a rising comic is a story that has been told a few times, and it generally is not all that different from the others. Getting the big break, driving long miles for little pay... it is a hard job, one which rarely pays off. This story, in many ways, is no different.But what works out here is we not only have a relationship crumbling while a career grows (the typical story), but we also have the journey of a man with a very rare, very dangerous sleep disorder. He could kill himself or his neighbors at any time... which makes for a much more interesting story.