The Other Woman

After discovering her boyfriend is married, a woman (Cameron Diaz) tries to get her ruined life back on track. But when his wife (Leslie Mann) comes looking for her, she realizes they have a lot in common. When yet another affair is discovered (Kate Upton), the three team up to bring the man down.

My Thoughts: Movies where a group of women get back at a man or men have a certain warm place in my heart as a gay man. Think 9 to 5 or The First Wives Club. The Other Woman may not quite fit into the same classic status as those two films, but it gets pretty close. The key to the film’s success is easily Leslie Mann; as the wife of the man all three women are sleeping with, her fall into a full-blown meltdown over the course of the film is played with such a manic streak that it’s impossible not to watch and laugh when she’s on screen. Her energy elevates most of the film, which is great, because Cameron Diaz is playing her role dialed way back. Mann’s energy also manages to paper over the fact that this film often shifts speeds in ways that are a little jarring. Too much time is spent with Mann and Diaz before the film progresses to other characters, and while they’re fun to watch together, it removes some time that could’ve been used to make the ending less rushed. Again, it’s not quite the 2014 version of The First Wives Club or 9 to 5, but it’ll do in a pinch.