Il dilemma

I like titles where one word can refer to multiple things occurring in the movie. "The Dilemma" can mean, will Ronny (Vince Vaughn) propose to girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly)? or when Ronny catches Geneva (Winona Ryder) cheating on best friend Nick (Kevin James), should he tell him? Will Ronny and Nick be able to land and keep the lucrative Chrysler deal to save their company? Unfortunately, none of these story lines are particularly interesting or very funny.

Vince Vaughn is his usual self, and Kevin James can be both funny and the nerdy engineer. But the problems occur at the very beginning, first when we realize that one of the best actresses in the cast, Ms. Connelly, is only there to smile and look pretty, and then we start concentrating on Winona Ryder who appears as though she's acting in "Girl, Interrupted" instead; her character is just way too deranged looking to be enjoyable. For what should be a simple buddy comedy, they added way too many sub-plots and although there were a few laughs, it was mostly boring and not all that funny.

By the end, the film settled down a bit more, and we got to concentrate on Ronny and Nick. Vaughn and James are the only two actors in the film who actually belong in such a film, and I enjoyed their camaraderie. They were good characters, funny guys, and decent people. "The Dilemma" isn't horribly written, had a few jokes, and I was smiling at the end, but it tested my patience just a bit too much.

OK..OK..it wasn't 'awful', but it wasn't OH MY GAWD this is great either. The Dilemma is presented as a conflict that Vince Vaughn has when he sees his best friend and business partner's wife having an affair. Coulda , shoulda, woulda been a different movie had the following happened: 1. Winonna Ryder...isn't in the movie 2. Kevin James ..had more comedy rather than 'engineering' skills 3. Winonna and Kevin were 2 different actors that were the married couple in this flick AND, 4. they stuck to the storyline and stopped adding countless subplots that have no impact on the movie or the comedy or the acting.

This movie had a lot of potential, it just didn't produce it.

Vince and Jennifer were acceptable as an unwed committed couple but there wasn't enough balance between comedy and drama. I went into this expecting comedy and got more drama. It just wasn't Vince's best work, nor was it Ron's.

Even the 'other man' (who's name escapes me) was just too far fetched to wrap my mind around in character. He was over he top. If he was like the guy from the Richard Gere, Dianne Lane movie, then it'd be more believable.

I'm just not sure what I watched tonight. Vince had his typically banter and rhetoric in some scenes, but the movie was just too heavy and too over the top with story lines for me to count...or to recommend.

I also didn't like Queen L in this...she overacted her scenes and her character just didn't seem to fit in enough to make it worth her paycheck. This is the same actress that got the Oscar nod for Chicago...completely overacting in this movie.

I'd definitely wait for the DVD..as a rental. You will only want to see it once..

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 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.

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)