Tag: Leslie Mann

‘The Other Woman’ is a hell-hath-no-fury revenge comedy that’s entire premise hinges on the antics of three women determined to ruin the life of a cheating man. That man in question, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, cheats on Leslie Mann’s character (Kate King) with Cameron Diaz (Carly Whitten), who discovers his married status only upon an awkward run-in with his wife. The two then strangely become friends and mutually decide to make Kate’s cheating husband miserable. They bring another scorned mistress into the mix (Kate Upton), and the predictable punch lines ensue.

While it’s refreshing to see another film with female leads, this film lacks the same comedic power of ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘The Heat.’ That’s likely because Mann is forced to carry the film without much help from her cohorts. Though Cameron Diaz is certainly a sight for sore eyes, she lacks Mann’s masterful timing, sacrificing the needed power-pairing. Plus, toilet humor tends to turn me off. The other issue with the film is that in order for it to work the man has to be cartoonishly awful. After all, if he has even a modicum of humanity, we might take a moment to feel sorry for him, which would destroy the humor. But if he is in fact cartoonishly awful (which he is), then why would these women waste their well-valued time taking him down? It’s a creative conundrum, but I was willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of having a little fun.

Though this film has some predictable plot holes, it’s worth seeing. It’s a fun, refreshing comedy that will certainly make you laugh if for no other reason than Leslie Mann.

RATING: 3/5 DISHES