Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder
I was in a bit of a muddle on Friday night. I had finished worked, The King’s Speech and Black Swan technically decimated our cinema for another night and I had finished my shift. Sure, it was 11pm, but I thought I’d unwind by going watch a film at the late show multiplex a mere 20 minutes away.
But the problem in my head was what I was going to watch. I was intending to see The Ward (which I have done and will review later) but wasn’t in the mood for a horror. I wanted something light and my choices came down to either Morning Glory (where grumpy Harrison Ford makes me chuckle) or The Dilemma (A Ron Howard directed comedy…hmmm…intriguing and I had not seen a trailer either).
I couldn’t make a clear cut decision so I did what any filmgoer would do in this situation.
Flip a coin.
Heads, I watch Morning Glory. Tails, The Dilemma.
It landed tails.
So here are my thoughts of The Dilemma. On the surface looks like a typical, usually not that very funny, Vince Vaughn comedy. This time, he’s a unlucky plebe who spots the wife of his best friend, played by Kevin James, getting it off with Channing “the male block of wood” Tatum. Suffice to say, the dilemma (see what they did there?) of the situation for Vince is does he tell Kevin James what he saw? And what will happen if he does? Will it scupper their motorcar building dreams? Will it prevent Queen Latifah from getting a female hard-on?
Yes, that last line is what the Oscar nominated Queen Latifah continually spouts out in this film. We’ll get to that soon.
What’s odd about The Dilemma is at times it’s typically Vince Vaughn fair. There’s loud screaming, pratfalls, idiotic spouts of behaviour, and the world’s worse anniversary speech to give to a girlfriends parents celebrating 40 years together. If you like that sort of stuff, you’ll be happy. And how it’s done here, I didn’t mind it. I did laugh a good laugh ratio as Byron Pitt would put it. It makes up for some of the past crap Vaughn has done….Couple Retreat maybe? Four Christmases? Yeah, The Dilemma is head and shoulders above those.
Then at times, The Dilemma veers into drama territory – you’d expect it from Ron Howard I guess. You get these dark moments of problematic pasts like a gambling addiction, failed marriages, and it’s at that time, you feel the film is strangely unbalanced at times. Trying to market your film as a flat out comedy and then thrown in the occasional moment of reflective thinking and crying to God in a more sombre tone is quite a curveball. Some audiences might like it. I think it tries to make itself different from the norm and I respect its attempt to do so.
But when your counter balancing it with comedy that is completely out of place and characters that belong in an Apatow clan film, The Dilemma is still worryingly uneven. And that’s a shame. The central performances are likeable. Vaughn and James make a good double act. Winona Ryder is building on her recent performances of evil or batty woman here. Jennifer Connelly is normal here. Nothing special. Channing Tatum plays up to that block of wood character nicely.
I wouldn’t whole heartily recommend it. Perhaps to all those curious, give it a rental. If you’re looking for a flat out comedy, find a flat out comedy. The Dilemma provides 50% of it. The other 50% is something from another film.
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