I’m not the world’s biggest proponent of Auteur theory, but I think it’s safe to say that The Dilemma isn’t really a Ron Howard film. The man is known for his deft handling of big films on big budgets, not for his love of second-rate bro-mance.

And it’s hard to know which way to look at The Dilemma. Is it a project that struggles because of Howard, or is he one of the elements saving it from disappearing down the gurgler? You’d have to suspect the latter, but behind the camera Howard isn’t renowned for his comic timing, no matter how many episodes of Happy Days he starred in.

With Vince Vaughn in the central role, The Dilemma ultimately comes across as The Break-Up II. It’s a comedy that can’t put away the jokes because of all the weighty subtext and themes it’s carrying.

Vaughn plays Ronny, the co-owner of an engine design firm, who can’t bring himself to tell best friend and business partner, Nick (Kevin James), that his wife, Geneva (Wyona Ryder), has been cheating on him. The two friends are shaping to sell an electric engine system to Dodge Motors that mimics the sounds and vibrations of its normally aspirated forebears (the most irritating idea ever), and with both the personal and professional pressure on, Ronny slowly starts to lose hold on the situation, bringing into jeopardy not only his friendship with Nick, but also his long term relationship with girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly).

Cheating spouses and relationships in jeopardy aren’t exactly the thing to have you rolling in the aisles, and as a result The Dilemma struggles to convert its gags. Even when the ideas are good, such as Ronny taking over Beth’s parents’ 40th wedding anniversary by giving a speech about honesty – aimed squarely at Geneva – the execution falls flat because the subject matter becomes too weighty.

Howard’s direction is partly to blame – the seasoned director struggling to manoeuvre his players into making the comedic payoff, but the greater guilt perhaps sits with Allan Loeb’s script, which simply isn’t that funny. The screenwriter has worked hard to flesh out his characters and get his narrative ducks in a row (although Ronny’s past gambling problems seem to fly under the radar in the early part of the film, making for a weird appearance later), which helps make The Dilemma worth sitting through, but I don’t go to see a film like this to learn the bitter truths of relationships.

Helping out the filmmakers is a talented cast. Vaughn is openly hated by some cinemagoers but I tend to think he’s a little underrated, even by himself: he should have moved on to more substantial roles by now (Into the Wild being a good example). Connelly can be slight but always carries an engaging physical presence, while the excellent Wynona Ryder makes the most of an often-thankless part. James isn’t so strong and seems a miscast – the fact that such a panicky tech geek ended up with Geneva stretches believability from the outset. In the smaller roles, Channing Tatum continues to impress even if he’s getting a little Marky-Mark one-note, while Queen Latifah checks in all too briefly to have much of an impact.

At almost two hours, The Dilemma is at least 20 minutes too long. It’s an able enough time waster, but really needed to be rethought from the get-go and becomes borderline offensive at a couple of points. Don’t go into this expecting to bust a gut – the laughs just aren’t there.


I say: The Dilemma has a lot of things to say about modern relationships – it’s just a pity all that gets in the way of the actual comedy.

See it for: Despite its faults, The Dilemma’s characters are at least likable, which is more than can be said for a lot of films of this ilk.