Movie Review: The Other Woman (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
You can imagine my lack of excitement walking into “The Other Woman.” None of the marketing suggested anything other than yet another generic, revenge chick-flick where a scorned group of women go after an unfaithful and dishonest male antagonist. Well, I have two words for you: Leslie Mann. She’s the film’s saving grace, and makes “The Other Woman” a lot more tolerable than it would have been otherwise. Oh, and watching Jaime Lannister shit himself is another plus.
When Carly (Cameron Diaz) discovers that the man she’s been recently seeing is actually married, she finds herself in a pretty awkward situation. Kate (Leslie Mann), who’s been married to Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) for several years, begins following Carly around to try and make sense of his affair. The two eventually become friends and discover yet another mistress (Kate Upton), and decide to get back at Mark any way necessary.
If you think the plot sounds a tad familiar, it’s because it is cough*John Tucker Must Die*cough. But for real, the film does deliver some genuine laughs, and they all come courtesy of Leslie Mann. I’m a big enough fan of Mann’s, although I do think she tends to get a bit too loud sometimes. You can tell that being married to Judd Apatow has done wonders for her comedic timing and improv abilities, and she really carries this entire thing. Also, as an avid watcher of “Game of Thrones,” seeing Nikolaj Coster-Waldau throwing tantrums or growing abnormally large nipples because of being slipped estrogen took me quite off guard, but I found it to be amusing.
I’ve never been a Cameron Diaz fan, and that feeling has been reinforced after watching “The Other Woman.” She’s just very unlikable, and can’t really act. Kate Upton, while gorgeous, also can’t act, but it’s not like she’s there to deliver a tour-de-force performance. She’s a swimsuit model, and her job is to look good. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gets to let loose and go a bit crazy, and he’s clearly having fun with the role. My only complaint is that his American accent isn’t very believable, but I’m nitpicking. The film is directed by Nick Cassavetes, and he does an adequate job, although the film could have easily been 15 minutes shorter. The film also has a considerable amount of heart, and it’s again thanks to Mann, who genuinely portrays someone who doesn’t know how to get over her marriage and struggles with the thought of starting over.
The Verdict:
If it weren’t for Leslie Mann or Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “The Other Woman” would have been a total train-wreck. I had more fun with this than I ever could have expected, and the film’s target audience will likely relish it a lot more than I possibly can. Like most Hollywood chick-flicks, it’s lazy and unoriginal, but it has some laughs to back it up.
Numerical Score: 6/10
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