Share

The Other Woman

accreditation
Leslie Mann, Nicki Minaj,Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton in The Other Woman. (Twentieth Century Fox Film )
Leslie Mann, Nicki Minaj,Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton in The Other Woman. (Twentieth Century Fox Film )
What it's about:

After discovering her boyfriend is married, a woman tries to get her ruined life back on track. But, when she accidentally meets the wife he’s been cheating on, she realises that they have much in common, and her sworn enemy becomes her greatest friend. When yet another affair is discovered, all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on the cheating, lying, three-timing S.O.B.

What we thought:
I can sum this movie up in one line; this is John Tucker Must Die for grownups. While the latter entertained me when I was younger, you’ll have to do a bit more than petty revenge tricks to keep the older me entertained; I am after all the target audience.

Three women who would have never met any other way become unlikely friends when they bond to take down a lying cheating man, of course, the type of thing that will only ever happen in the movies. Moving on.

The plot and its characters are predictable. Carly (Cameron Diaz) is a high powered New York attorney who  has it all except a man ‘cause you know woman cannot have it all. She’s a bit jaded but she still believes in love. Kate (Leslie Mann) is the naive stay at home Stepford wife who is oblivious to her husband, Mark’s (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) cheating ways. She is however the brains behind her husband’s successful business. Amber (Kate Upton) is a 22 year old bombshell, the definition of every man’s walking midlife crisis waiting to happen. Oh and then there’s Lydia (Nicki Minaj), Carly’s assistant who gives her sage advice about dating a married man.

Carly, Kate and Amber’s friendship is solidified through binge drinking, playing dress up with each other’s clothes and braiding each other’s hair. Yawn.

The comedy is below the belt all at the expense of Mark. He gets fed female hormone tablets, laxatives and his shampoo is replaced with hair remover.

I’ve never really been a Diaz fan as her acting has never really left much of an impression on me. She is unconvincing in this role, one moment a hard-ass the next a regretful bestie, at some points she tries too hard. I did enjoy Mann’s somewhat neurotic character. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her. At the end of the movie her character is the only one that showed growth. Upton is only there for the eye candy and the running Baywatch bikini shots.

While the movie might have had good intentions about sisterhood, it fails dismally with the stereotypical portrayal of female friendships and high school revenge tricks. I’d like to think that the modern woman is smart and would find more ingenious ways to get back at a cheating lover. And when it comes to a good female buddy comedy, Bridesmaids and The Heat have set the bar high.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE