The Other Woman (2014)

4/5

The Other Woman is a surprisingly stellar film, funny and emotional in just the right concentrations. The plot follows Carly (Diaz) as a high-powered lawyer who discovers that the man she's dating, Mark (Coster-Waldau), has both a wife (Mann) and a second mistress (Upton). The initial premise sounds bland and cliché at first--and little more than a substandard chick flick--but it surprises time and time again. The writing is extremely well-done (e.g., "cry on the inside like a winner") and the characters feel much more fleshed out than those occupying your standard rom-com. Diaz is truly outstanding. I am not a fan of Cameron Diaz in general, but this is honestly one of my favorites roles from her entire career.

The Other Woman has a couple of flaws. First, it is filled with unusual, sometimes uncomfortable, music choices. Second, Mark's final comeuppance (despite how much we have all grown to hate him) is excessively over-the-top, indulging in way too much schadenfreude for comfort. But for all it gets wrong, it gets the most important things right. The Other Woman is a comedy with heart and strong characters that make you a little better off after watching it. And isn't that what movies are all about?

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2203939/

Headhunters (2011)

4/5

Headhunters is a film based on the book of the same name by Jo Nesbø. To review the movie, I must first describe the book. The book is full of twists and turns. It is written in such a way that surprises and delights with every chapter. Even the premise of the book is only revealed after the first chapter (an interview with a potential applicant). And once you discover the premise while reading the second chapter, you want to go back and re-evaluate that first chapter for its double meanings and hidden subtext. The premise of the movie is not only revealed in the description for the film, it is used as an action-y setting for the opening credits. So now, even before we get to that interview in the first scene, we know what is up and the scene loses its cleverness and mystery. This is to say nothing of the biggest curve ball of the book--the big reveal at the end--which is announced much earlier on in the book and merits no less than a pause for the movie-going audience.

All things considered, the movie is a relatively faithful adaptation, in that specific events happen in the same way and order that they did in the book. But it loses the charm and brilliance of the writing. Still, the film is enjoyable and engaging and one that I highly recommend. More than anything, however, I recommend reading the book. The twists are absolutely to die for; you can't put it down until the jaw-dropping finale. Writing this review for the movie just makes me want to read the book again--that's how good it is.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1614989/