Film Review: Sharpness Wears Down to Dull in ‘The Other Woman’

CHICAGO – Cameron Diaz has a firm grasp on her…image. She has carefully transitioned throughout her career from ingenue to comedienne to voiceover to the new film “The Other Woman.” But what begins as a sharp revenge comedy collapses into a bonding-sticky-sweet dullness.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Diaz rules and controls the machinations of the movie, allowing the hilarious Leslie Mann to do most of the comedy gymnastics, and the results at first are bizarre and very funny. In a cheating husband story line, in which the wife and mistress become friends, it maybe best not to complicate the matter with yet another mistress (the model Kate Upton). Once Melissa K. Stack’s screenplay started adding on characters and complications, the purpose of the story was de-fanged, which was the eventual revenge on hubby. The film performs a classic jump-the-shark about half way through the 109 minute film.

Cameron Diaz is Carly, a successful late-thirtysomething lawyer in New York City who has it all, except for ‘the guy.” This changes rather rapidly when she meets Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a handsome romantic who sweeps her off her feet. After dating two months, she wants him to meet her father (Don Johnson), but a last minute cancellation arouses suspicion. She travels to Mark’s Connecticut home, and encounters his wife Kate (Leslie Mann). Carly is now the “other woman.”

She dumps the cheating rogue, but doesn’t figure on wife Kate seeking counsel from her, as they bond over Mark’s infidelity. A revenge factor becomes their motive, and it is at this point they discover yet another “other woman,” a younger model-type named Amber (Kate Upton). Suddenly the two become three, and Kate’s hunky brother Phil (Taylor Kinney) is thrown in for good measure. Mark is going down, and he doesn’t even know the army that surrounds his border.

“The Other Woman” opens everywhere on April 25th. Featuring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Taylor Kinney, and Nicki Minaj. Written by Melissa K. Stack. Directed by Nick Cassavetes. Rated “PG-13”