Girl power triumphs in ‘Other Woman’

The last thing the world needs is another chick flick. It’s all been done before: the love triangle, the high school flashbacks, the struggles of a suburban-turned-city girl and the predictable story line that always ends with a happy ending. Though The Other Woman falls right into this category of light-hearted films, it’s exciting to see Hollywood’s favorite actresses work together in what is sure to be the new go-to movie for all those girls’ nights in.

The Other Woman hopes to prove that unfortunate circumstances can bring people of different backgrounds and personalities together. Though Cameron Diaz’s, Leslie Mann’s and Kate Upton’s characters couldn’t be more different, they are forced to team up because the ladies share one commonality: the same man, Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).

Diaz plays Carly Whitten, a tough New York lawyer with a strict set of rules when it comes to relationships after years of bad luck in the dating game. After discovering her boyfriend is married to Kate (Mann), a preppy suburban housewife, Carly tries to move on, but Kate makes it impossibly difficult when she shows up at her office for advice. Instead of directing their outrage at each other as viewers would expect, the two bond over their joint enemy, and with the help of Amber (Upton), the third woman, they conspire to come up with the perfect revenge.

While Carly is a strong, independent woman, Kate has given up her former life, friends and job to be a suburban housewife. And then there’s Amber, a young bombshell with much to learn from her two older girlfriends. Heartbroken and angry, the trio investigates Mark’s life and finds a dirty secret they know will ruin him.

“I think we’ve all gone through some kind of betrayal, whether it’s [with] a boy, friend or family,” Diaz said at a press conference. The two other actresses nodded their heads in agreement, adding that the familiar feeling of disloyalty is what helped get them into character.

The film also embodies the old saying that “sometimes all you need is an old friend, a good chat and a slightly expensive bottle of wine.” The Other Woman will have you wishing that you were best buds with the cast. From playing dress-up at Carly’s Manhattan apartment to scheming behind their lover’s back, the actresses even make being vengeful mistresses seem like fun. Their chemistry continues off-screen too.

Mann explained at the press conference that she and Diaz went out for a four-hour dinner in New York City in addition to the cast dinner. “We kind of hit it off right away — luckily,” she said. “Cameron is my teacher and Kate is like my daughter.”

As for Upton, who is known for her two Sports Illustrated Swimwear Edition covers, The Other Woman is the first movie the supermodel has starred in.

“It was so amazing. I’m so lucky,” Upton said. “I didn’t know what to expect and they [Diaz and Mann] welcomed me right away and supported me throughout.”

The film has all the ingredients to be a successful chick flick at the box office. Besides having three hilarious actresses, pop star Nicki Minaj adds just the right amount of sass in her role as Carly’s secretary. Despite the cast being predominantly female, the two main actors definitely do not get overshadowed by the girl power on set. Coster-Waldau and Taylor Kinney, Lady Gaga’s model-turned-actor boyfriend, were a pleasure to work with, all three actresses said at the press conference.

“I was so excited to make out with him I broke out with hives,” Mann said of Coster-Waldau, who stars in Game of Thrones.

Moreover, producer Julie Yorn was able to tap Nick Cassavetes, known for directing The Notebook, to direct the movie.

“I have a strong mother, daughters and sisters,” Cassavetes said after reading the script for Yorn’s project.  “I have a strong connection to women, and I really love what this movie says about the power of female relationships.”

Another person who Yorn was excited to work with is Patricia Field, one of the most sought-after designers for motion picture and television projects. Her earlier works include The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City, which earned her Academy Award and Emmy Award nominations, respectively.

The Other Woman might sound a lot like all the other romantic comedies out there, but that’s only because it is. The cast, producer and director all know this and choose to embrace it in every way; they do not try to make the story seem more serious than it really is. They also know, however, that they’ve created a movie women will enjoy watching over and over again — and that is what makes them proud.