Bit to Do

The romantic comedy is a tired genre. How many movies have been made about long-time couples pressured into marriage by well-meaning family members who are convinced that something must be wrong since they've been together for so long? And how absurd is that premise, really? I mean, I'm sure it's a situation which pops up in real life all the time, but why should it? Is marriage really so important? If two people love each other, that's all that should matter, right?

I'll return to the point before I sidetrack myself too much. The subject is overdone, but as with any kind of overcooked food, such a fact can be hidden by the addition of lots of delicious sauce. Take, for instance, the recent film Sleepwalk With Me

. The sauce? Hilarious stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia, who stars in the film and wrote it based on a one-man off-Broadway show (which itself is based off true experiences).

Birbiglia stars as Matt Pandamiglio, a new comedian struggling to get a laugh. As pressures mount from his family to marry his girlfriend of eight years (Lauren Ambrose), he begins sleepwalking, his subconscious manifesting itself in bizarre ways. Throughout all his struggles he learns a valuable lesson: the therapeutic power of comedy, and the fact that real life can often be funnier than made-up jokes.

Sleepwalk With Me

opens today at Village 8 Theaters as the newest installment in the Louisville Exclusives series. Village 8 is located at 4014 Dutchmans Lane. Further theater information and showtimes can be found at the Village 8 website.

Image: Internet Movie Database