The Dilemma (Review)

Despite what the ads may tell you, The Dilemma ain’t Wedding Crashers meets Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It’s much darker and more intriguing than that, though it still goes to the broad comedy well a few times too often. It tells a story about two couples whose relationships become strained, resulting in a great deal of paranoia and suspicion. I rarely laughed during the movie, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t constantly fascinating. It all makes for intriguing chaos.

Vince Vaughn plays Ronny Valentine, who, despite the name, is NOT a baseball player. Instead, he plays a small businessman who is partners with Kevin James’ Nick Backman. They are on the verge of a big deal with Chrysler, and it is right at the worst possible time that their personal relationships get in the way. Ronny plans to propose to his girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly), but in the process finds out that Nick’s wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) is cheating with a younger, tattooed man (Channing Tatum). Soon he begins stalking Geneva to get proof of the affair, but that only increases problems at home and with Nick.

It’s relatively easy to see what attracted Ron Howard to the material, believe it or not. It was written by Allan Loeb, whose track record in 2010 may not have been the best (The Switch was awful, Wall Street 2 was disappointing), but the screenplay has the potential to be a great comedy/drama. The first mistake was made with the casting of Vaughn and James as the two leads. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not bad, but putting them together sends the wrong message immediately to the viewer. The tonal roller coaster is doomed to leave some viewers dizzy.

In fact, I think James in particular was able to step up to the plate a bit here. This is not his usual performance, playing a man who constantly feels as if the walls are closing in around him. Vaughn, meanwhile, feels a little out-of-place. He’s normally quite good in roles that allow him to be himself, but in The Dilemma his improvisational style clashes a bit with what should be a tighter, more straightforward story.

The best performances come from the women, however. The ever-reliable Jennifer Connelly is quite good as Ronny’s concerned better half, while Ryder absolutely kills it as the near-sociopathic adulterer. Also notable if not revelatory is Tatum’s rather funny work as Ryder’s extramarital lover.

There always seems to be a few different movies at play in The Dilemma. There’s the movie that’s been advertised: the buddy comedy. There’s a dark human drama in here, best seen in Ryder’s character. Director Ron Howard adds a few directorial flourishes (flashbacks, fantasy sequences) that really don’t make much sense. Everyone knows what they’re doing, but none of them are doing the same thing.

This all makes The Dilemma notable, but to a point. It’s not a particularly pleasant experience to watch, as all the characters seem determined to screw everything up as much as possible before the end comes around. In fact, give the movie credit for staying unpredictable, so much so that the most clichéd resolution often promises to be the least likely. Sadly, that doesn’t stop The Dilemma from coasting in for a smooth landing, making sure the NHL gets all the product placement it can. Lord knows it needs it.

The Dilemma is conventional when it should be taking risks, but amps up the anxiety at the most uncomfortable times possible. It makes for an interesting, if not necessarily satisfying two hours at the movies. Strictly speaking, The Dilemma is a failure, but I doubt you’ll see a more intriguing failure for a long, long time. It constantly flaunts its potential but never follows through.

Rating:  (out of 4)