Another of Alan Berliner's quirky, funny, but thoughtful and enlightening documentaries. This one chronicles his attempts to find an answer for his insomnia, and examines whether his tendency to be a night owl is a problem that keeps him out of sync with the world and his family, or a harmless quirk of personality that helps him be creative. The film manages to convey a good deal of scientific information about sleep and sleep rhythms, but Berliner's wry, very personal telling keeps it from ever feeling dry or purely informational. As someone who is a night owl myself, I found this fascinating, sometimes a bit sad, and always entertaining.
I know some here have complained that Berliner is too whiny, but to me, much like Woody Allen, that's just part of his openly neurotic and funny personality. I don't feel (in this or in his other films) that we're meant to take his whining all that seriously. His willingness to be slightly annoying and screwed up on camera is also part of what makes him (for me) funny and human.
I know some here have complained that Berliner is too whiny, but to me, much like Woody Allen, that's just part of his openly neurotic and funny personality. I don't feel (in this or in his other films) that we're meant to take his whining all that seriously. His willingness to be slightly annoying and screwed up on camera is also part of what makes him (for me) funny and human.