Most viewers would describe The Other Woman as a chick flick, although at times that is hard to believe. The main plot has Cameron Diaz’s character falling head over heels in love with a handsome rogue (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Of course, it’s too good to be true, but it takes a surprising eight weeks for this intelligent woman (she’s a successful high level lawyer) to learn that he is married.
Rather unbelievably Diaz becomes friends with his wife (Lesley Mann).
They start to plot their revenge on the energetic womanizer and find out he’s also cheating on both of them with a buxom young lady (Kate Upton). Soon she joins the revenge group and, not surprisingly, by the end of the movie, Coster-Waldau gets his. And their revenge is sweet.
However, far too much of this movie is silly and unlikely.
There are a few funny moments, and the three main female characters form an appealing bond, but there are also fart and bathroom jokes, not to mention a pooping Great Dane. And there are not that many chick flicks that feature extensive, slow-motion shots of a main character (Upton) bouncing down the beach a la Baywatch in a skimpy bikini.
The acting is at the sitcom level, especially from Mann, and the plot goes downhill on its way to the obvious conclusion. Many women would take this dumbed down revenge comedy as an insult, but, judging by the box office, there’s an audience for it.
Rating: two deer out of five
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Alf Cryderman is a Red Deer freelance writer and old movie buff.
