There are quirky encounters with an accordionist and barrista, and those are as predictable as the bits of bickering that enter our 30something couple’s dialogue. The black and white cinematography paints Brooklyn in soft, romantic shadows. The debut feature of Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas isn’t particularly deep, but it gives us characters with shadings and flaws. He jokes - “I know everything about you, Sophia.” She’s quick with a comeback - “Too soon.“ “Instagram quotes don’t work in real life.” Over the course of their walk and talk, they will dissect their insomnia, break down what works and doesn’t work in their lives and share sitcommy profundities. Not Zach, who is non-threatening and sensitive. Hers is chronic and “I got tired of fighting it.” But true confessions time - “You want to know what keeps me up at night? Men. His insomnia is a recent condition, and with no prodding he confesses “I never really knew sleep without alcohol.” Insomnia, fate, and Zach deciding to make an approach throws them together for an hours-long walk into the Brooklyn dawn. They’re not drunk or hungover or headed to work. Sophia is leery, but Vitek’s “nice boy, a bit nervous, perhaps” disarms her. “How else do you find anything of value in this life?” Zach is “not looking,” but Vitek urges him to open his eyes.
Why? Because all-night clerk/owner Vitek ( Ajay Naidu of “Bad Santa” and TV’s “Blindspot”) is…helpful. Each resorts to ancient “Dick Van Dyke Show” reruns before they give up and make that 4 a.m. Separately, they stare at their separate clocks, “3:00 a.m.,” “3:15 a.m.,” “3:45.” He ( Nyambi Nyambi of TV’s “The Good Fight”) exercises, she ( Rebecca De Ornelas) makes tea.
The dialogue doesn’t paint glorious word pictures like “My Dinner With Andre” and isn’t tinged with the wistful hope of love of “Before Sunrise.” But the engaging leads make this meet-and-greet-and-debate romance worth losing yourself in. Sometimes cute, occasionally touching and generally charming, it won’t go down as one of the great “just a conversation” films. “The Sleepless” is drama and romance at its most elemental and charming - just two insomniacs, meeting and chatting on a long walk through the empty streets of Brooklyn at dawn.
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