The Dilemma

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.

Considering all the great actors, going in you would think it'd be, at the very least, a decent watch. But no, this movie is somehow so aggravating and annoying you want to yell at the actors and ask what in the world they were thinking.

I can usually find something I like about any movie. With this one there wasn't one thing. This is one of only a few movies I've ever rated under a 5 and it deserves it.

This film is about a man finding out his best friend's wife is being unfaithful. Should he tell his best friend about it or not? The title and the poster suggest it's a comedy, and with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, how can "The Dilemma" not be a comedy? Oh yes, in fact it is not a comedy! It's a semi-serious drama about this age old moral dilemma. I say semi-serious drama because neither the plot nor the actors give any emotional depth to make it a serious drama. This light-hearted execution undermines the credibility of the drama elements. For the comedy elements, it is overshadowed by the drama subplot. The film just drags on and on, without being serious or funny. "The Dilemma" is really so boring, don't let the comedic cast fool you.

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are friends. They get along, and their wives, Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder, get along. In the classic scenario that we all hear about but never want to happen to us, what happens if your best friend gets a divorce? It really does upset the apple cart, even though in a logical sense it shouldn't. If your best friend's marriage crumbles, you start to question the solidity of your own. You reconsider inviting him along to outings because he'd be a third wheel, or you feel obligated to split time with his ex-wife because she was your friend, too - and then you have to hide the fact that you're still spending time with her, so he doesn't get hurt feelings. You wonder if he'll start flirting with your wife, or you feel jealous when he enters a new, exciting relationship.

So, if you saw your best friend's wife having an affair, would you tell him? It's quite a dilemma. The premise and execution of the film is actually quite good, managing to keep enough dramatic tension and realism mixed in with silly humor. If you really don't like the style of Vince Vaughn or Kevin James, though, you probably won't like it. I'm really not a fan of either Winona Ryder or Jennifer Connelly, but I was still able to enjoy the movie. Ladies in the audience will love drooling over Channing Tatum, the boyfriend on the side, and gents will appreciate Vince Vaughn's hesitancy as he tries to do the right thing. If you're in a rocky relationship, I wouldn't recommend this as a date night movie, but if you're watching it by yourself or with some pals it should be fine. Just don't watch it with your best friend unless you're prepared to answer how you'd react in such a dilemma!

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.