The Other Woman: The Lawyer, The Wife, The Boobs

Recently, I’ve been in this murder and mystery phase when it comes to my entertainment. So, when I decided I needed a lighter change, The Other Woman seemed like the perfect choice. For two hours I found myself laughing with Carly (Cameron Diaz), Kate (Leslie Mann) and Amber (Kate Upton) as they exacted revenge upon a truly reprehensible man.

The story is simple: man cheats on woman, woman finds out, woman makes man pay. What’s the twist, you ask? Kate, wife of cheating pig, Mark, befriends Carly, the “other” woman. After an uproarious night of drinking in Carly’s fabulous closet, Kate goes home to start phase one of the plan. If this is not outrageous enough for you, Carly and Kate go to the Hamptons where they befriend Amber, Mark’s third lover. Once again, Amber has no idea that the man she is dating has no soul…

Going in, I was worried that the film would portray the women as erratic and outrageous, but I was happily surprised to find that these are all women with whom I’d like to get a drink. (Maybe I like Kate so much because I am essentially her 20 years younger.) What I find to be refreshing is the fact that these three women are all exceptionally real. Not everyone who finds love is a pretty twenty-something, even though Hollywood likes to think so. Roles for women in their 40s are not easy to come by in the film industry. Therefore, I truly appreciate the fact that Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz play successful, eccentric, charming women who are just as beautiful as the 21 year old Kate Upton.

As far as Kate Upton goes, I am a fan. It is not as though she is the next Meryl Streep, but she plays the role of Amber in such a way that you cannot help but love her. In my opinion, she is the modern day Marilyn Monroe: sweet, voluptuous and just nice to look at. She also represents a change within the industry. The role of Amber could have easily been given to one of those anorexic models with giant boobs, but honestly, who finds bones visible through skin to be attractive? Kate Upton is sexy because she’s healthy.

Usually I find myself reeling when women are objectified. However, Carly and Kate’s presence balance out the fact that Amber is only there for her boobs. And, hey, not everyone can be Stephen Hawking, right?

You may be thinking, this is a movie about a sleazy man ruining his marriage, how is this funny? Well, first I would say, it is a fictional comedy, lighten up. However, I would then proceed to agree with you that it should tackle the more serious undertone, and I would be happy to tell you that it does. Certain moments of the film show us that when the outrageous antics are on pause, Kate’s emotions are not, that she is actually quite broken by the fact that her husband is a serial adulterer. These more serious scenes make what could be a fleeting relationship between these three women into a lasting bond.

Although I have pretty much raved about the film, I did have two, “seriously?” moments. At one point in the film Carly slips Mark a laxative while they’re out to dinner. Very funny, we know what happens as a result, leave it there. Nope. We follow Mark into the bathroom where he ‘lets it out’ for a minute and a half to eternity. Gross. Just gross. While this scene is disgusting and unnecessary, I can live with it. What I cannot live with is a man hitting a woman. Near the end of the film, Mark is enraged and plows down a woman to get to her computer. Said woman is hit so hard she flies off screen. Let me say this now: IT IS NEVER OKAY TO HIT A WOMAN! Okay, I’m good. Unless the woman is some sort of secret agent in a fight scene, no woman should be struck by a man. I know this may sound like a double standard, but that is just the way I see things.

Today, unfortunately, we still live in a world with double standards. You may have heard negative reviews of the film. Think about it this way, though, if the roles were reversed, three men getting back at a cheating wife, it would be this year's best new comedy. She would be the cheating "bitch" who had it coming. In the actual case of the film, the women are portrayed as, yes, a bit crass, but strong and comedic. Thus, it has to be a ridiculous film, full of bad acting and over the top shenanigans. For now, though, take the movie for what it is, and just enjoy it.

If you are in the mood to laugh for two hours, I highly recommend The Other Woman. Although it isn't likely to win any Oscars, for a light summer comedy, it did the job. It is a predictably funny chick flick that most women are likely to enjoy and most men might enjoy looking at. I find myself looking forward to when it will be on E! every other weekend.

Opened in the US on April 25, 2014.

Rated PG-13

Run Time: 1:49