The Dilemma (D+ or 1.5/4 stars)
Ronny Valentine & Nick Brannen (Vince Vaughn, Kevin James) have been best pals since college, & are now business partners for an auto design firm in 'The Dilemma' (directed by Ron Howard, yes ... that Ron Howard). Nick is happily (or so we think) married to Geneva (Winona Ryder) while Ronny is reluctant to pop the question to his beautiful longtime girlfriend, Beth (Jennifer Connelly). Ronny's faith in marriage is shaken when he inadvertently catches Nick's wife, Geneva, kissing a young, handsome, but idiotic guy named Zip (Channing Tatum). So Ronny is faced with a "dilemma". Does he tell Nick that his wife is cheating on him & risk hurting his pal's self-esteem ... or keep quiet & hope that Geneva's tryst is a one-time thing?
Complicating matters is a business project that has placed Nick in an extreme state of anxiety over a deadline. If he loses any focus (like being told by his bestie that his wife is cheating on him), he could have a complete meltdown; and lose the dream business deal. This entire situation becomes WILDLY convoluted when Ronny finds out that Nick secretly frequents an Asian massage parlor - so is he cheating, too? Adding to this, Ronny hears a phone message which leads him to think that Beth is cheating on him! Upset, angry, confused, dejected ... Ronny confronts Geneva about wanting to tell Nick that she's screwing with him. She first promises to break it odd with Zip, but after failing to keep that promise, he flips, & she threatens to turn the tables on Ronny if he tells Nick. Drama.
This entire film IS a dilemma. This is a 'comedy' (slapstick, during some events), and yet, there are very few laughs. There is drama, but it is absurd; and misses the mark for being effective. And there is no balance btwn. both tones. It's messy & uninteresting. I've seen many films that blend dark comedy & light drama well ... but this movie ain't one of 'em. Furthermore, there's a lengthy period in the midst of the film - where Ronny plays detective (in figuring out who's cheating on who) - that is very poorly executed. In other words, I was bored. Because of that padded midsection, and because too much time is spent on details involving Ronny & Nick's auto design deal with Chrysler, the film is also a good 15 min. too long, as a result.
The actors do a decent job trying to rise above the material. Vince Vaughn is funny (in his usual fast-talking way) when he's called to be. And he doesn't do himself a disservice in the poignant parts, either. I wish he'd get a truly serious role one of these days to see what he's really made of. His highlight scene includes a toast that he makes to a couple married for 40 yrs. It's a rude, embarrassing rant; but a funny one, & there needed to be more 'funny' elsewhere. Jennifer Connelly looks great. But she's given little to do in the script (and Ron Howard directed her to an Oscar in 2001's A Beautiful Mind). Kevin James has his moments. I loved the final scene at a hockey game with him & Vaughn. But he fails to impress in the serious portions of the film; including an absolutely RIDICULOUS intervention sequence near the end. I mean, how the plot arrives at this intervention scene is dishearteningly stupid {shaking my head thinking about it}.
Queen Latifah has a small role, & her performance did not win me over (it's irritating). That said, the best performance of the film comes from Winona Ryder as the initially sweet, desperate, and (eventually) bitchy adultress. Her face, her eyes, her crackly voice ... it all works for her in this story. This film, along with Star Trek & Black Swan marks a sort of 'return' for Ryder (after her kleptomaniac ways, some yrs. ago) ... and I, for one, am happy about it. She has that 'something'. Overall, though it could have been worse, 'The Dilemma' wound up being not funny enough, too uneven, & disappointing; VERY disappointing; given that Ron Howard directed it. He should stick to his typically stodgy, but satisfying dramas.
Complicating matters is a business project that has placed Nick in an extreme state of anxiety over a deadline. If he loses any focus (like being told by his bestie that his wife is cheating on him), he could have a complete meltdown; and lose the dream business deal. This entire situation becomes WILDLY convoluted when Ronny finds out that Nick secretly frequents an Asian massage parlor - so is he cheating, too? Adding to this, Ronny hears a phone message which leads him to think that Beth is cheating on him! Upset, angry, confused, dejected ... Ronny confronts Geneva about wanting to tell Nick that she's screwing with him. She first promises to break it odd with Zip, but after failing to keep that promise, he flips, & she threatens to turn the tables on Ronny if he tells Nick. Drama.
This entire film IS a dilemma. This is a 'comedy' (slapstick, during some events), and yet, there are very few laughs. There is drama, but it is absurd; and misses the mark for being effective. And there is no balance btwn. both tones. It's messy & uninteresting. I've seen many films that blend dark comedy & light drama well ... but this movie ain't one of 'em. Furthermore, there's a lengthy period in the midst of the film - where Ronny plays detective (in figuring out who's cheating on who) - that is very poorly executed. In other words, I was bored. Because of that padded midsection, and because too much time is spent on details involving Ronny & Nick's auto design deal with Chrysler, the film is also a good 15 min. too long, as a result.
The actors do a decent job trying to rise above the material. Vince Vaughn is funny (in his usual fast-talking way) when he's called to be. And he doesn't do himself a disservice in the poignant parts, either. I wish he'd get a truly serious role one of these days to see what he's really made of. His highlight scene includes a toast that he makes to a couple married for 40 yrs. It's a rude, embarrassing rant; but a funny one, & there needed to be more 'funny' elsewhere. Jennifer Connelly looks great. But she's given little to do in the script (and Ron Howard directed her to an Oscar in 2001's A Beautiful Mind). Kevin James has his moments. I loved the final scene at a hockey game with him & Vaughn. But he fails to impress in the serious portions of the film; including an absolutely RIDICULOUS intervention sequence near the end. I mean, how the plot arrives at this intervention scene is dishearteningly stupid {shaking my head thinking about it}.
Queen Latifah has a small role, & her performance did not win me over (it's irritating). That said, the best performance of the film comes from Winona Ryder as the initially sweet, desperate, and (eventually) bitchy adultress. Her face, her eyes, her crackly voice ... it all works for her in this story. This film, along with Star Trek & Black Swan marks a sort of 'return' for Ryder (after her kleptomaniac ways, some yrs. ago) ... and I, for one, am happy about it. She has that 'something'. Overall, though it could have been worse, 'The Dilemma' wound up being not funny enough, too uneven, & disappointing; VERY disappointing; given that Ron Howard directed it. He should stick to his typically stodgy, but satisfying dramas.