Bad Moms

Talented actresses are let down by the writers of The Hangover in this comedy aimed at women but clearly written by men - a fact exemplified by random lesbian snogs. As ever, Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Ted) is likeable as Amy, the frazzled young mother of two high-school kids (a bit of a stretch in itself), who juggles mum stuff with a career in gourmet coffee sales until she discovers her husband is cheating on her. That's the cue for Amy to go off the rails with fellow mums (played by Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn, who regularly upstages her co-stars with her brassy behaviour).A drunken trip to the supermarket is a highlight. However, gags are too often lazy and broad, with silly slapstick offered in place of insightful humour and Christina Applegate, on autopilot as the uppity head of the PTA, is wasted as the arch villain of the piece. Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who co-direct as well as co-write, struggle to find focus and the result is a film as tired and scattered as its sleep-deprived heroine.