Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann upset expectations in The Other Woman, a comedy about betrayal

WHEN it comes to odd couples, wife and mistress has got to come somewhere near the top of the list.

THE OTHER WOMAN (M)
Rating: Two stars
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kate Upton, Nicki Minaj, Don Johnson

Suffers from second wives syndrome

WHEN it comes to odd couples, wife and mistress has got to come somewhere near the top of the list.

Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann embrace the physical potential of this absurd comic premise in The Other Woman, a revenge comedy in the tradition of The First Wives Club.

Garden shrubs, liquor cabinets and human dignity all take a battering when this unlikely pair combine forces to bring a smooth-talking philanderer (Game Of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to account.

Diaz, of course, has been cast as the title character.

Dressed to kill in figure-hugging, primary-coloured power frocks and heels so sharp they resemble weapons, Diaz plays a cutthroat corporate lawyer with a string of men in tow.

Beneath that sexually assertive, tough-as-nails exterior, however, is a woman of scruples who would really like to settle down with Mr Right.

The smart, sensitive dreamboat she has been dating for the past two months could well be the man she has been waiting for.

When he cancels their date to deal with a burst pipe back home in Connecticut, she decides to surprise him — dressed in a scanty plumber’s outfit.

This causes embarrassment for all concerned when the door is opened by his blissfully ignorant wife (Mann).

Judd Apatow’s missus has already exhibited her flair for domestic dramedy in Knocked Up and its spin-off This Is 40.

It’s nice to see her given a bit more elbow room here as an unhinged homemaker in floral prints and sun-coloured cardigans.

Both she and Diaz confirm our suspicions that they are extremely good sports in this female-skewed buddy movie.

Adding to their already formidable feminine arsenal is 21-year-old Kate Upton, a former Sports Illustrated cover girl, who plays the much-younger second mistress.

It’s a pity the women didn’t have more to work with.

There are some good lines: “Cry on the inside, like a winner,” is a personal favourite.

But The Other Woman lacks the underpinning authenticity of Apatow’s best work.

And many of the set pieces are hackneyed and clunky. This might be partly explained by the fact that Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook, My Sister’s Keeper) has more experience as a dramatic director.

Leaving the cinema, it’s hard to shake the feeling that The Other Woman should be a good deal funnier than it is.