The new comedy from Jamie Babbit (But I’m a Cheerleader) reroutes Shame via Weekend at Bernie’s, and pulls a neat switch in casting its central siblings: Judy Greer is the abrasive sex addict shrugging into a chambermaid gig in the titular no-horse-town, while a genial Natasha Lyonne attempts to clear up after sis accidentally brains a casual lay. Though Karey Dornetto’s slaloming screenplay can feel self-conscious about pushing the taste envelope, it offers the leads a useful showcase: Greer, squandered as “concerned mom” in this summer’s blockbusters, proves she can get laughs simply from stacking loo rolls, while Lyonne builds a very sweet relationship with on-off gym buddy Aubrey Plaza, and her Cousin Itt impression alone merits the VOD rental. Innately funny people (Molly Shannon, Beth Grant, Fred Armisen) nudge it through its wayward stretches and back towards its better ideas and lines: the barmitzvah heist’s a novelty, and even Dornetto’s rape jokes aren’t just funny but oddly educational.
