Walk of Shame (2014)

(On Cable TV, February 2015) When I say that I have a soft spot for silly comedies, Walk of Shame is the kind of film I’m think about. It’s amiable, silly, and episodic (although it does tie things up as it progresses), doesn’t really lead to a Big Important Message and allows charming actors to do their best. Here, Elizabeth Banks is the highlight as a local news anchor who suffers the worst night of her life as complications pile up following a wild night out. Taking fullest advantage of Los Angeles as a magnet for strange behavior, Walk of Shame starts piling up the absurdities early on, and doesn’t really stop until its “fugitive in a yellow dress” has caused an indecent amount of mayhem. It’s not meant to be refined, but it does accomplish most of what it tries to do. My mild liking for the film is probably unexplainable given its reliance on humiliation comedy, ethnic stereotypes, directorial laziness and a big dose of misogyny. I can’t quite make sense of it myself, except for the following: “soft spot for silly comedies”.