Plot: What’s it about?
I recently re-watched one of my favorite films of the last two decades – The Mask. Yes, that Jim Carrey vehicle that really helped him become a household name and a movie that introduced us to Cameron Diaz. Diaz, a model-turned-actress, has really made a name for herself over the last twenty years and this is the movie that started it all. While she’s dabbled in drama with films like Vanilla Sky and Being John Malkovich, her bread and butter has always been comedy. Certainly she’s best-known for her turn as Mary in There’s Something About Mary, a movie that no doubt paved the way for her role in the Shrek films (she was the voice of Princess Fiona). I’ll freely admit that I’m more of a passing fan of Diaz, not that her work isn’t good, but with some of her roles I kind of feel that if I’ve seen one then I’ve seen them all. But there was something about The Other Woman that made me want to give it a chance, so here I sit. Was it worth the time or was my initial theory about her films correct? Let’s find out.
Diaz plays Carly Whitten, a high-powered attorney who just so happens to have found the perfect man in Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Jaime” from Game of Thrones). But when she ventures out to his home and meets his wife, Kate (Leslie Mann), Carly calls everything off and goes about her life. But Kate is having a harder time letting news of her husband’s shenanigans go. Kate pesters Carly for emotional support and, as it so happens, they’ve got a lot in common. The two then discover that Mark is seeing yet another woman in Amber (Kate Upton). Now the three of them are out for revenge and will stop at nothing to make Mark pay for being, well, a man. This is also where the film devolves into eye-rolling territory as it’s so been there-done that. Still, seeing a three-timing man get what’s coming to him is pretty hilarious and I’m willing to bet that the filmmakers thought that as well.
The Other Woman doesn’t break any new ground, it’s essentially like a more modern version of The First Wive’s Club with a bit more flare. Director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook) seemed like a rather odd choice to helm this romantic comedy, but I do feel that in lesser hands that this might not have worked the way it did. And after reading a few reviews of this film I’d heard that Leslie Mann “stole the show” with her acting. I’d say that there were a few scenes in which she shined, but more to the point I’d say she was doing a lot more “scene chewing” than “scene stealing.” Diaz is also in familiar territory here and is the anchor of the film and that brings us to Kate Upton. Yes, we know that she’s a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, but I don’t know why she was cast here. I’d have personally picked Brooklyn Decker, who after watching Just Go With It, I felt had a real natural talent for acting (and she does possess similar endowments to Miss Upton). Upton isn’t bad here, but her role seems really forced. All in all, The Other Woman is a fairly entertaining, though very predictable film – proceed at your own risk.
Video: How’s it look?
Shown in a 2.40:1 AVC HD image, The Other Woman does look the part and is certainly consistent with a new to Blu-ray film. The movie has a nice texture to it that at some points is crystal clear and at others shows the slightest bit of grain. This isn’t a bad thing, though, as it really seems to work here. Colors are bold and brilliant, detail is stunning (this is especially appreciated during Kate Upton’s entrance into the film with her slow motion jog along the beach, in a bikini no less). Contrast and black levels look the part as well. There are a lot of nice aerial and spacial shots that really caught my eye. I don’t know why, but this is a rather avant garde look and feel to a genre that tends to do things by the book. Still, audiences will appreciate the video quality.
Audio: How’s it sound?
A more rudimentary sound mix has been included here and even though the DTS HD Master Audio has a few moments, this is more on par with what this genre is known for, audio-wise. Vocals are crisp and clear, Mark’s deep voice resonates though the center channel and after seeing the actor in Game of Thrones, it’s clear that he’s doing his best with an American accent. Surrounds are ample and add a bit of atmosphere to a few scenes, but the main focus is on the front stage. Nothing too amazing to report here with this audio, it does the job.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Given the surprise success of this film at the box office (it doubled its budget), this Blu-ray is surprisingly lacking on supplements.
- Giggle Fit – We get a look at Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz trying their best to stop laughing and get a scene in the can. Admittedly it is rather amusing.
- Deleted/Alternate Scenes – Nearly ten minutes worth of them, though nothing really of substance and without a proper introduction and/or commentary, we’re kind of left to decipher their meaning alone.
- Gag Reel – The cast yucking it up…
- Gallery – Some photos from the set and behind the scenes.
- Theatrical Trailer
