There is a general rule of thumb about scatological humor that I try to enforce as a reviewer. Yes, a film can use it sparingly and effectively. An inventive “poop” gag can certainly result in a chuckle. However, when it is relied upon again and again to generate laughs, it suggests a lack of ambition. After already being used a couple of times in The Other Woman, there’s a scene in which a performer runs to a toilet making exaggerated facial gestures whilst flatulence and gushing bodily fluid noises are haphazardly added to the sound mix. This scene is clearly intended to be hysterical and a comedic highlight of the film. However, it only emphases this effort’s problems.
Carly (Cameron Diaz) is a successful lawyer who believes that she has met the man of her dreams in charming entrepreneur Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). However, when the barrister decides to surprise her beau at his Connecticut home, she ends up introducing herself to his wife, Kate (Leslie Mann). While the women are initially angry and at odds with each other, they soon develop a friendship in their mutual disgust with Mark. After they meet another mistress named Amber (Kate Upton), the three decide to plot an appropriate revenge for the slimy womanizer.
There’s potential here and a good cast that should generate laughs. Mann’s quirky character is an emotional wreck after learning the truth and she experiences every extreme from panic attacks to righteous anger. She also sells some impressive physical comedy (including a couple of bits in which the actress amusingly contorts both her and other’s people bodies). However, the script allows precious few opportunities for the talented star to maximize the comedic potential.
One hopes that the characters find an interesting and clever way to get the upper hand on Mark. But the pacing is very slow and it takes the leads too long to formulate a plan. And when they do, their aspirations are far too low. For a majority of the second half of the movie, they maintain an elaborate ruse in order to lace Mark’s drinks with a laxative, followed by some estrogen. And in between these moments, audiences endure short and pointless montages of the group hanging out and laughing (in fact, they spend so much time together in the movie that one eventually wonders why Mark hasn’t figured it all out). The crude jokes seem all the stranger when the story attempts to incorporate pensive moments of Kate having second thoughts about following through with divorce proceedings.
This all might sound harsh towards a movie that is simply intended to be light, frothy and fun. Yet as an audience, we want our protagonists to think bigger and enact a more exciting and potentially dangerous scheme than simply giving the antagonist diarrhea. Heck, one assumes most people suffer from it at one time or another without the elaborate means taken by several vengeful exes.
As a result, it’s impossible to recommend The Other Woman. This attempt may eke a sporadic chuckle here and there due to the more than capable cast, but even their best efforts can’t resuscitate an unmotivated, leaden script.