H H 1/2

PG-13, 109 minutes. Westbrook.

And thus, is a great comic duo born. "The Other Woman" is a female empowerment comedy and buddy picture, a PG-13 "Bridesmaids," as if that was even possible. But it is, because of Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann. Diaz, whom future generations will look back on in awe that anybody so skinny/sexy could be so very scary, takes the straight-woman role to Mann, an underrated comedienne who hasn't worked nearly as much as she should have since she married comic brand name Judd Apatow. This farce, about a romantically jaded lawyer, Carly (Diaz), who realizes her new love of the past two months is actually married to a prattling, scattered but sweet housewife (Mann), gives Diaz a few pratfalls, a lot of pricey clothes and the occasional bikini, and Mann everything else. Especially every funny thing. Mann's "Kate" all but collapses, on learning the truth in the Carly's office. "Does this open?" she mumbles, groping and poking, dazed, at a wall-sized window she'd like to jump through. "You had sex with my husband ... 50 times? Don't you have a JOB?" She cries to Carly, drinks with Carly, badgers Carly with calls. Mann, who stole "Knocked Up," plays a great drunk. Pouring her into Carly's chauffeured Town Car is like watching Buster Keaton in high heels. Worldwise Carly gets why Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) would cheat on Kate. She's a clingy ditz, unable to train her Great Dane, catering to her entrepreneur hubby's every need. Even Kate gets that. But Kate wins Carly's sympathy, and ours. Then the ladies meet a third "other woman," Amber (voluptuous model Kate Upton). And while it's not her fault that this Nick Cassavetes comedy hits the wall when Upton shows up, she's no actress.

- Roger Moore, McClatchy