By: Cynthia Ayala
The Other Woman takes a stab at giving viewers a comedic and satirical showcase on infidelity by bringing three of his lovely ladies together as they set out to bring him down, giving viewers laugh and heart. Read on for the full review.
Directed By: Nick Cassavetes
Written by: Melissa Stack
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Kinney & Don Johnson
Genre: Comedy
New York lawyer Carly Whitten (Cameron Diaz) lives by strict rules when it comes to romantic relationships, but when she falls for suave, handsome Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), she begins an affair with him. A surprise visit to Mark’s home reveals that he is married to devoted housewife Kate (Leslie Mann). Carly and Kate direct their hurt and anger toward Mark, and when they discover yet a third woman (Kate Upton) caught in his web of lies, the three join forces for revenge.
Society is funny sometimes. There is this double standard that when women cheat, it’s the most unforgivable act in the world, however, when men cheat, either the wife or the mistress will forgive. Of course, this is not true for all cases, but it is the truth. A stay at home wife tends to feel lost if she were to lose her husband so she forgives and forgets and lets him do it again, turning a blind eye until she can’t take it anymore. What The Other Woman does is show women strength, independence and sisterhood buy creating three types of women: the stay at home wife, the businesswoman, and the cute young hot piece with, well, not a lot of brainpower with the charm of a romantic comedy, but with a twist.
What holds this movie together is the ensemble cast and the satirical way the movie goes about exploring the different venues of infidelity, while at the same time remaining funny. The cast members deliver an array of personalities and showcase the difficulties each one would face in such a situation. Leslie Mann played the housewife Kate who has just discovered her husband is cheating on her. While she has an array of insecurities, she brings to the table a strong and determined side that brings up many conflicting feelings. The movie delves into those emotions to build the movie and her character creating a great dynamic with her co-stars. Next there’s Cameron Diaz. Her character, Carly, doesn’t deal with real relationships and rather enjoys her flings that get her through the day, but Mark’s (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) dishonesty opened her eyes to her own insecurities and allows her to take a cold hard look at herself which evolves her character to such a degree turning her from cold and uncaring to warm character. And finally there is Kate Upton who resonates sincerity and charm with her character. Pulling the team together, she is the key part, however subtle, that keeps the balance between the characters while have such a youthful and honest personality that really makes her character shine. Granted, her character has the least amount of growth throughout the film, she fits in perfectly with the other cast members and gives the film a down to earth note that ties up the casting perfectly.
While the story pushes the envelope a little near the end of the film, the movie does offer may laughs and has a sincere note attached to it, giving the story a function and a way to resonate with the audiences. ★★ ½ (out of 4 ☆‘s | B )