Movie Review: THE DILEMMA

photo © 2007 Emily Tan | more info (via: Wylio)
'Happy New Year' doesn't always translate into happy new movies.  With January, movie goers are treated to a bunch of lackluster offerings, and The Dilemma is no exception.  Oscar winning director Ron Howard has made one of the least original comedies to come out in quite some time, with a cast so strong it's a shame they didn't have more to work with.  This movie is so forgettable I don't even remember a single character's name - so for the full impact, I won't look up any of them for this review.

The dilemma in question involves one friend, let's say Friend A (played by Vince Vaughn) witnessing his best friend and business partner's wife (Winona Ryder) fooling around with another man (Channing Tatum).  The best friend/business partner, or Friend B (Kevin James) is busy working on a major work project, and Friend A doesn't know if he should disturb him with this information at such a volatile moment for their business.   Then enter 90 minutes of sub-par attempts at hilarity.

I am not a big fan of most movies that rely on a single lie or secret.  You know there is always going to be the big "reveal" scene, and usually it's not done well.  This movie doesn't buck the trend.  Now there were some funny moments, but nothing you wouldn't find turning on any given sitcom.  I really liked the cast, which also included Jennifer Connelly who really seems to be trying to shake her usual depressed victim character.  Queen Latifah shows up awkwardly a couple of times, and the actress/rapper who is normally a breath of fresh air is about as stale as most of the jokes.  This movie gained public attention for including a controversial "gay" joke that many groups called for Ron Howard to pull.  It wasn't pulled - but it should have been.  Not because it was offensive, but because it wasn't funny.  But I guess following that logic, pulling all the unfunny parts, we'd be left with a 20 minute movie.

Overall, I didn't completely hate the film, but it certainly wasn't good.  I would give it a 3.5 out of 10.

Parental Take:  The comedy does have a number of adult themes, including infidelity, gambling, and sexual situations.  It's best for 15 and up, and the younger members in my screening didn't seem to be into the film at all.

If You Like The Dilemma Try:  Try last year's The Switch, an underrated comedy/drama that does the rare great job of being a movie hinging on a single lie/secret.