The Dilemma (Universal Pictures)
Ron Howard At His Worst
With some of his best movies Ron Howard seems like an indecisive director. There were minor flaws of this type in A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and The Da Vinci Code. In his latest film The Dilemma he does not want to make a stand on whether the film is a drama or a comedy. The question of marital fidelity is certainly dramatic but Howard plays it sporadically as a comedy.
Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James) are best friends and business partners. They pal around together and often include Ronnys girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly) and Nicks wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) in their fun.
One day Ronny spies Geneva out with another guy. He finds out his name is Zip (Channing Tatum) and he and Geneva are having an affair. Now the dilemma is whether or not Ronny should tell Nick. This is something he agonizes over for days. When things finally come to a head Ronny is caught in the middle.
Ronnys love for his friend and his desire to do the right thing certainly accounts for some dramatic scenes. His relationship with Nick is not taken lightly nor is his long friendship with Geneva. To complicate things Ronny is a recovering gambling addict. His strange behavior makes Beth think he has gotten involved in betting again.
What makes the film so schizoid is Howards use of comedy intermittently throughout the film. This undermines the drama that is taking place and makes light of the strong feelings it evokes. Ronnys problem is a real one and it deserves to be taken seriously once it has been presented in a dramatic manner. If the whole thing had been played as a big joke, that would have been another matter entirely.
Vaughn is the star of the show and is in almost every scene. He does a good job of presenting Ronnys dilemma and getting the audience on his side. James is likeable in his role as Nick but you never feel you get to totally know who Nick is. He has some issues in his marriage that make him not the total good guy he appears to be.
Ryder is well cast as Geneva. You get her love for Nick and her frustration with him. She wants her marriage and she wants some romance. Connelly has the weakest role of the four. She is the loving supportive girlfriend and she plays this part with believability.
Queen Latifah is also in the movie but has a throwaway part. You wonder why she is included since the role offers her nothing special to do. She is a talented actress and can do comedy and drama but this role as a member of a car company just asks her to be slightly interesting. Tatum has a better role as the not so bright hunk who is the object of Genevas affections.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
Howard is a talented director and he has assembled a talented cast of actors, but his lack decisiveness on whether the film is a drama or a comedy weakens the entire effect. The Dilemma ends up being just that for the audience.
I scored The Dilemma a problematic 5 out of 10.
