The Dilemma

I don't know if anything happened after the 40 minute mark, but that's when I gave up. It was all taking far too long for me.

Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) is Nick Brannen's (Kevin James) best friend from college and partner in their own auto design firm. Ronny has girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly), and Nick is happily married to Geneva (Winona Ryder). Then Ronny spies Geneva making out with another man.

This is probably the worst Ron Howard movie I've ever seen. I don't know what the original intention was. Is cheating in a marriage really slapstick comedy material? Vince Vaughn and Kevin James could be a funny team in another movie. I just can't tell as I worry about what's going on in that marriage. If you're making fun of this material, you'd have to go dark. Neither guy is that great at dark comedies and Ron Howard is the last person to direct that.

How could one go wrong with a cast like Jennifer Connelly, Vince Vaughn, Winona Ryder, Kevin James and Queen Latifah? While 'The Dilemma' isn't among the worst movies, it's still a big disappointment. The premise doesn't promise a classic but it sounded funny and since Vaughn and James were involved, I expected to laugh and with Ryder and especially Connelly, I expected some substance. 'The Dilemma' is a complete failure where substance is concerned. It did make me laugh on a few (very few occasions). Plot holes are very apparent and I also thought it was ridiculous how the story was making Ryder's Geneva to look like the villain when her husband is equally to be blamed for the same. In addition, the story deviates in the last half hour only to head further downhill. Vince Vaughn's Ronny is more vulnerable than the characters he usually plays and he does a good job. Kevin James's Nick suffers from poor writing. It's good to see Winona Ryder back in a meaty role (even though it was a small part). Luminous beauty and immensely talented Jennifer Connelly is criminally wasted. Ditto for the voluptuous Queen Latifah.

This movie is a shameful waste of $70,000,000. It's also an unusual waste of a talent like Jennifer Connely.

I can't even begin to tell you where this movie goes wrong, because it never seemed to go right. For the first 30 minutes of the movie, there is nothing remotely funny, original or entertaining. I gave it the benefit of the doubt, telling myself "ok, Ron Howard is just setting up the premise. It will get better." But it doesn't. Not a bit.

I had to repeatedly resist the urge to take out my phone and play Skee Ball. I should have, however, given in to the temptation to leave the theatre and demand my money back.

PS to the studio - don't market a film as a comedy if its not remotely funny. It does nothing to enhance your already tarnished reputation. (Clearly you are still pumping out left over crap from 2010)

Really good actors and a premise that could have worked, but it failed in its execution. It was a bit like someone had assembled a lot of fresh, delicious ingredients in the kitchen, but didn't really know what flavors go with what, how much of each should be included, or what method to cook it and how long.

Too bad, because the actors gave it their all, and I felt like I could see where Ron Howard was TRYING to go with it... but unfortunately, it didn't quite make it there.

It wasn't terrible, but I can't say I laughed or ever really felt very invested in the characters. I commend the actors though -- a lot of times when the movie isn't going well, you can tell the actors have just decided to phone it in. I never felt like that with this cast, so kudos to them for that. Otherwise, it was basically forgettable.