Better Late Then Never

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Mike Birbiglia's stand-up special "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" is absolutely genius. The special is in essence one story where he meticulously weaves correlating humorous snippets into the telling of the story. As an audience participant you're invested in the outcome of the story as he has artfully captivated your attention. As he crescendos to the conclusion, you realize every detailed joke presented over the hour had great purpose in the unveiling of this lone story. Did I laugh frequently? Yes. Was it the funniest stand-up ever? No. Was it by far the best written stand-up I've ever seen? A resounding yes! Please watch it! (Recommended to watch it in one sitting, so wait until you have 75 minutes).

I know that I have given a concrete idea a human trait, but I stand by it. I have watched this particular stand-up special by comedy veteran Mike Birbiglia twice. And both times, I have been captivated at what this stand-up special actually is. Birbiglia instantly becomes a storyteller as well as a stand-up comedian, and it is amazing.Told in a semi-nonlinear sequence, Birbiglia speaks about his childhood and his adolescence, his teenage years, and finally his adulthood. Throughout, he often makes references to his social awkwardness and his contempt with the concept of marriage, as well as goes into detail about certain aspects of his life when growing up, including how he decided to go into comedy.I could definitely see this being made into some sort of independent romantic comedy film, ironically speaking. A film that shows mainly flashbacks and most of its dialogue is a narrator narrating everything that is happening.This stand-up special transcends what stand-up specials used to be, and I could consider this one of the most influential. It is simply that good.

Despite releasing three albums, one previous special, a book and a movie based on his life in which he, himself, starred, Mike Birbiglia still keeps things pretty low key. His broadcast experience has taken him from being a stand-up to being more of a spoken-word story-teller. At times, he reminds me of what Stuart McLean would have been like as a young buck; one can certainly see Birbiglia settling into broadcasting in his later years as a semi-retirement plan. This special sees him working through the theme of relationships with a format that leans a little less towards straight stand-up and more towards a one-man show; the second half particularly is dedicated to sharing and explaining an arc he recently endeavored in his personal life. Birbiglia recalls some of his previous experiences in the search for love in his usual self-deprecating manner. His delivery is natural and he's so winsome and sincere he gets away with some playful but frank observations about sexes. Looks like Seth Rogan meets John Ritter and just as fun to spend time with.

Mike Birbiglia gives a stand up performance that is truly unique with his newest comedy special. His show almost takes the form of a one act play more than a standard comedy special. He gives his audience a beautifully honest insight into his personal experiences over his life of tumultuous relationships. His honesty is heartfelt and produces moments of true humanity free of any stage persona or affectation while still delivering consistent laughs. A must see for anyone interested in people furthering the art of stand up comedy.I would recommend any one who finds this review helpful to also see Birbiglia's film Sleepwalk with Me.