What compels people to perform comedy? And how does it relate to profound sleep disorders? Mike Birbiglia never answers those questions in this autobiographical feature, but he does provoke more laughs and groans than your average stand-up routine. The groans come early as Birbiglia struggles through his first 11 minutes of material; it's inane, full of self-loathing, and unfunny. Meanwhile, he tortures himself about his failure to commit to his perfect girlfriend (Lauren Ambrose) and endures jibes from his miserable parents (Carol Kane and James Rebhorn), pressures which seem to cause his sleep disorders. Then one day he uses that material in his routine, and a career is born. But is he happy? Well, kind of, I guess. Birbiglia and co-director Seth Barrish don't try anything fancy; instead they have put together an illustrated monologue — affably absurd, bittersweet, and droll.
