By Athena Skapinakis
Advertising Manager

Director Nick Casavette sends out an empowering message of sisterhood and amity to women in his comedic film “The Other Woman.” While Casavette’s usual specialty perhaps isn’t comedies, he was still able to portray an extremely likable and humorous story. “The Other Woman” is undoubtedly one every woman will delightedly add to her chick-flick collection.

The movie has even managed to knock the newest film of the Captain America franchise from first place at the box office with ticket sales of $24.7 million. For a movie which received many bad reviews and too-harsh criticism, “The Other Woman” certainly surpassed expectations with its popularity.

Starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton, the film follows three women who are all being cheated on by the same charismatic man. The women couldn’t be any more different from one another in personality, but somehow manage to develop strong bonds with one another because of their unfortunate predicament of being the other woman.

Diaz played Carly Whitten, a tough Manhattan lawyer with a history of serial dating, who found herself enamored with her new boyfriend Mark King, played by the Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. After Mark cancels plans to get drinks with her and her father, Carly takes it upon herself to make a house call just to ensure everything is alright. Things don’t go as planned for Carly after she very awkwardly meets Mark’s wife, Mann’s Katy King. Stunned by the deception, Carly returns to New York jaded and devastated.

However, Carly isn’t the only who feels betrayed by the man she loves.

Katy seeks Carly out at her office quite quickly, determined to get to the bottom of her husband’s infidelity. Although uniting to retaliate against Mark for his unfaithfulness, they form an odd, but genuine friendship. The duo is especially hilarious because Katy is scatter-brained, animated and a little too needy while Carly is a tough-love type. Because of their conflicting personalities, the two prove that in friendships opposites can attract, and that alliances formed through vengeance are a force to be feared.

A pleasant surprise was Nicki Minaj’s first on-screen role as Carly’s sassy assistant. She managed to steal every scene she was in not only with her funny lines, but with her character’s fashionable apparel. “Sex and the City” veteran costume designer Patricia Field can be credited for the fantastic wardrobes for the cast. Carly had my favorite attire throughout the film with her classy career woman look and the sexy, but elegant dresses she wore on her dates with Mark.
Carly and Katy soon make a new addition to their group, enlisting Kate Upton’s Amber. Amber is another one of Mark’s girlfriends who, upon finding out she was deceived and cheated on, is eager to join the revenge-seeking team.

As Carly said in the film, “Put the lawyer, the wife and the boobs together and we know how to do it just as shady as he does.”
You have a creative trio, albeit a little childish, who will do whatever it takes to teach Mark that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
The film takes a much more slapstick turn towards the end, but still enforces the idea that women should empower one another, not compete.

The movie is reminiscent of 1996 film “The First Wives Club,” but has its own hysterical flares and uniqueness. Theaters were long overdue for another female-driven comedy. My last favorite had been the 2011 movie “Bridesmaids.” I won’t give much more away on the movie because it’s one you should see on your own—preferably with all of your girlfriends who have as big a thirst for revenge as the other women in the film do.