‘Sleepwalk’ falters at times, but still tells amiable story

Mike Birbiglia is half Italian – albeit what he calls an “Olive Garden Italian” – but like his nominally Jewish hero Woody Allen, Birbiglia is an everyman whose self-effacing humor has wide appeal. Both men transitioned from stand-up comedy to making movies about their love lives. First-time director Birbiglia is at the beginning of his learning curve, but on the strength of his on-screen persona, “Sleepwalk With Me” is charming enough that he can credibly dream about creating an “Annie Hall” someday.

Although Birbiglia assures the co-pilot camera that we’re about to hear a true story, this is actually a thinly fictionalized version of the confessional comedy he has honed in two off-Broadway plays and on National Public Radio’s “This American Life.” He calls himself Matt Pandamiglio, but like the author, he is a stand-up comedian with relationship and sleep disorders.

Matt has been dating Abby (Lauren Ambrose) for seven years. Abby is supportive of his comedy career, yet Matt is stereotypically scared of commitment. We have to assume it has something to do with his parents, played by James Rebhorn and Carol Kane, but Birbiglia doesn’t shine a particularly penetrating light on his underlying issues. And while he hints that these issues manifest themselves in his nightmares and sleepwalking, the sleep-disorder subplot is similarly under-developed.

The best aspect of the film is its evocation of the comedy circuit. Matt works his way up from a nightclub bartender to a last-minute performer to a touring comedian who is tempted by college-town groupies. Birbiglia lived that road-tripping, minor-league comedy lifestyle, and this is as good as it’s ever been portrayed in a movie.

Unfortunately, the resolution of the romantic dilemma, the kind of thing that has such impact in Allen’s movies, happens off-screen and is mentioned so briefly that many viewers might even miss it. Likewise, the abrupt ending of the film, involving Matt’s sleep disorders, is a letdown. But notwithstanding its storytelling stumbles, “Sleepwalk With Me” points in a positive direction for this likable comedian’s career.