User Reviews

Ronny and Nick have been best friends since college. The two are partners in their own auto design firm; their big dream comes true when they land a big deal with Chrysler. Nick has found a way to make an electric car sound and feel like a muscle car. Ronny's life has now turned for the worst when he catches Nick's wife cheating with another man. So does he tell his best friend about the other man, or should he wait until the Chrysler presentation is over. Vince Vaughn's character over shot itself. It was just too much Vince. Jennifer Connelly gorgeous as usual. You caught your best friend's wife cheating, but to stretch this topic for a movie for a 1 hr. 58 min was just way to long. Not enough funny parts to compensate for the boring slow pace of the film. Constant yada yada's. Not one of Ron Howard's best films. Soft 3 stars out of 5

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..

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)

I came to this movie with the lowest expectations. Never been a fan of Vince Vaughn and I knew the reviews were not kind to this film. However, this is a film that while you won't be laughing your ass off during the whole movie, it provides a few good laughters and it also has a decent story to tell. The story is simple yet it keeps you questioning yourself... what would YOU do if you caught your best friends wife cheating? Let me say, it does get childish at times and yes it might drag on a bit but it's not horrible by any means.

It's a kind of romantic comedy that can be enjoyed equally by men and women and let's just say the Bromance that is at the core of it is quite engaging. I'd say don't listen to the reviews. True, this may not be a fresh comedy nor a classic but it is well acted and it tries to avoid being cheesy, even though it may very well be at some points.

Greetings again from the darkness. On average, I see two new releases per week. Selections are based on subject matter, cast, director, and most often, the trailer. My most recent two viewings were BLUE VALENTINE and SOMEWHERE, both somber to say the least. So a light-hearted buddy flick with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, and directed by Ron Howard, seemed like just the right change of pace.

Unfortunately, the actual film has little resemblance to the film advertised in the trailer. Sure the comedy scenes are present: Vince gives an acidic toast, Kevin James does his fat-man dance, and Channing Tatum plays an off-center tattooed boy toy with a loaded gun and dead fish. Where the fraud comes in is with the rest of the film. This is a pretty dark, weighty relationship movie that poses quite the moral dilemma (hence the title) for Vince. Should he tell his best friend and business partner that his wife is cheating on him? Rather than a few rounds of funny scenes with Vaughn trying to get it right, we get "deep" emotional wrangling of a poor guy who just doesn't know the best solution. Along the way he hurts many people he likes, and a few he doesn't. Please don't take this wrong, I am fully onboard with dramas being mixed with comedy. In fact, Ron Howard has provided us with one of the best examples of this ... PARENTHOOD. However, this is nowhere near that level, and in fact, misses the mark in both comedy and drama.

I spent much of the movie trying to decide who was most frightening, Winona Ryder or Karen Carpenter. What?? Oh wait, I meant Winona Ryder or Jennifer Connelly. Too soon? Come on, she died in 1983. The point is Ms. Ryder carries forth with her BLACK SWAN look and Ms. Connelly evidently hasn't had solid food for a dozen years. Queen Latifah does her best to bring some energy to the film, but her character only has about 3-4 scenes. It's always nice to see how Ron Howard works in his brother Clint and his father Rance ... thereby keeping their actor's guild cards current.

There really was a good idea here, but the comedy and drama just weren't meshed well. And Kevin James as a genius engineer? Seems a stretch from Mall Cop! Ron Howard has some classic movies to his name. Some funny ones like NIGHT SHIFT, and some dramatic ones like A BEAUTIFUL MIND and APOLLO 13. Unfortunately, this one falls flat and really provides little entertainment.

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are friends. They get along, and their wives, Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder, get along. In the classic scenario that we all hear about but never want to happen to us, what happens if your best friend gets a divorce? It really does upset the apple cart, even though in a logical sense it shouldn't. If your best friend's marriage crumbles, you start to question the solidity of your own. You reconsider inviting him along to outings because he'd be a third wheel, or you feel obligated to split time with his ex-wife because she was your friend, too - and then you have to hide the fact that you're still spending time with her, so he doesn't get hurt feelings. You wonder if he'll start flirting with your wife, or you feel jealous when he enters a new, exciting relationship.

So, if you saw your best friend's wife having an affair, would you tell him? It's quite a dilemma. The premise and execution of the film is actually quite good, managing to keep enough dramatic tension and realism mixed in with silly humor. If you really don't like the style of Vince Vaughn or Kevin James, though, you probably won't like it. I'm really not a fan of either Winona Ryder or Jennifer Connelly, but I was still able to enjoy the movie. Ladies in the audience will love drooling over Channing Tatum, the boyfriend on the side, and gents will appreciate Vince Vaughn's hesitancy as he tries to do the right thing. If you're in a rocky relationship, I wouldn't recommend this as a date night movie, but if you're watching it by yourself or with some pals it should be fine. Just don't watch it with your best friend unless you're prepared to answer how you'd react in such a dilemma!

Considering all the great actors, going in you would think it'd be, at the very least, a decent watch. But no, this movie is somehow so aggravating and annoying you want to yell at the actors and ask what in the world they were thinking.

I can usually find something I like about any movie. With this one there wasn't one thing. This is one of only a few movies I've ever rated under a 5 and it deserves it.

I think it was wrong to advertise this as a comedy. It was not. But I felt it was real. The argument that those two women wouldn't be interested in these two people is ridiculous argument. Its done in Movies all the time. But this really was NOT a comedy.

I think people are giving the movie a bad rap mainly for that reason. Not because it was a bad movie. Yes it made your stomach upset but that is because it was an uncomfortable movie.

I gave a 9 out of 10 because it wasn't perfect. But it was damn good. Vince Vaughn actually impressed me here. He usually plays an obnoxious prick. He was still kind of obnoxious but we got to see his human side as well which we don't see very often in his movies.

This movie was about the friendship of two best friends and "the dilemma" you can be put in when you find out the best friend's wife is cheating. How do you really break it to them. Its not just like a girlfriend. That may be easier to do. But a wife, and you know its gonna hurt.

"The Dilemma" is the exact sort of film I try to avoid seeing: It bills itself as a comedy, but the laughs are few and far between; I haven't liked Vince Vaughn in anything else except "Swingers"; I don't care for Kevin James or Queen Latifah; and the movie's basically a two-hour commercial for the Dodge Challenger. Nonetheless, when my friends dragged me to see it, I actually sort of enjoyed the movie.

The basic plot of the movie is that best-friends-since-college Ronny and Nick (Vaughn and James) run an engineering firm that is vying to help redesign the engine of the new Dodge Challenger to be more eco-friendly without losing the macho factor. Ronny is nervous about wanting to propose to his girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly), and then finds out that Nick's wife (Winona Ryder) is having an affair. The next 90 minutes Ronny debating with himself on what to do with this knowledge, punctuated by some rather lame slapstick.

There are--however--plenty of redeeming features that save this film. First is that director Ron Howard--although not a master craftsman--is a capable, professional director and rarely misses a chance to insert a funny cameo from little brother Clint. Second is the script from Allan Loeb, which makes each of the four leads a believable three-dimensional character rather than some by-the-numbers cardboard cutout. And finally, there are also the performances by the two female leads: Jennifer Connelly has always been great, going back to her years as a child actor; and Winona Ryder (who I had a crush on in the early '90's and who is as beautiful as ever pushing 40) looks ready for a career comeback in her biggest role since her shoplifting conviction.

As an aside, I also want to say that there a couple of scenes with a very subtle political (pro-tea-party) undercurrent that I disagree with. However, unlike most politically aware movies since "Roger & Me", the filmmakers don't try to bludgeon the audience with their beliefs, so it doesn't detract from the film as a whole--for which I am grateful.

"The Dilemma" is not Oscar-caliber. It is not a great film. I will not buy it on DVD. It's crassly commercial and the "funny" bits just don't work. But as far as mainstream Hollywood early-year releases go, it's actually okay.

Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) is Nick Brannen's (Kevin James) best friend from college and partner in their own auto design firm. Ronny has girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly), and Nick is happily married to Geneva (Winona Ryder). Then Ronny spies Geneva making out with another man.

This is probably the worst Ron Howard movie I've ever seen. I don't know what the original intention was. Is cheating in a marriage really slapstick comedy material? Vince Vaughn and Kevin James could be a funny team in another movie. I just can't tell as I worry about what's going on in that marriage. If you're making fun of this material, you'd have to go dark. Neither guy is that great at dark comedies and Ron Howard is the last person to direct that.

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.

Really good actors and a premise that could have worked, but it failed in its execution. It was a bit like someone had assembled a lot of fresh, delicious ingredients in the kitchen, but didn't really know what flavors go with what, how much of each should be included, or what method to cook it and how long.

Too bad, because the actors gave it their all, and I felt like I could see where Ron Howard was TRYING to go with it... but unfortunately, it didn't quite make it there.

It wasn't terrible, but I can't say I laughed or ever really felt very invested in the characters. I commend the actors though -- a lot of times when the movie isn't going well, you can tell the actors have just decided to phone it in. I never felt like that with this cast, so kudos to them for that. Otherwise, it was basically forgettable.

Anyone who has had a best friend, male or female, knows that the situation that Vince Vaughn finds himself in is not one to be envied. While watching this movie, I constantly found myself frustrated yet sympathetic to the actions of both Vince and Kevin. The movie, listed as a comedy, seems to me to be more in the genre of a "Click" or "Spanglish" where you find yourself laughing at times but also absorbed with the drama within. I am going to call this movie a "Com-ma" (even though the cackling tween behind me would beg to differ).

I must say that the movie was well paced and consisted of a great cast which is expected of Ron Howard. While it was not exactly what I expected going into it, I must say that I was pleased. I left the theater satisfied but this is not the type of movie I could watch over and over. Its biggest pro was the cast as Vince, Kevin, and Queen can rarely do harm in my book. The biggest con would be its lack of memorable funny lines. I wouldn't be surprised if this movie ends up at a 6.1 on IMDb. My final word is that "Great moments... are born from great opportunity," just hope that this opportunity isn't having to tell your best friend his wife is a cheater!

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are best friends who are both in relationships. However, one of their partners is cheating on them and the other guy finds out. The idea for this had so much potential, I think Vince Vaughn can be very funny and that Ron Howard is a talented director but what in the heck were they thinking?!

This movie takes a very dark turn even though it was marketed as a silly comedy. The jokes are lacking and the writing is terrible. The "cars are gay" speech was the most painful monologue I've heard in a long time and forced beyond belief. Queen Latifah is a decent actress but her performance is embarrassing here and none of her innuendos are clever. She just brings the plot to a screeching halt. The decisions that these characters make are beyond ridiculous and don't make any sense. Winona Ryder's character had some of the worst motivations I've seen in a long time.

It can't decide whether it wants to be a comedy or drama. The serious moments fail and this movie is an absolute mess. It's not the worst movie I've ever seen but it's pretty bad. I have no idea why Ron Howard thought this script was the next best thing. You know what? I don't think it even had a script, come to think of it. This movie is not worth your time or money. Two hours of my life, gone forever!

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.

I agree wholeheartedly with arad747, January 14, 2011 review titled, "A Comedy with a Story to Tell" - WELL stated. There WERE some fairly bad reviews on this movie, but I thought the "story" was excellent and well played by some great actors.

There were enough well-placed funnies that had me laughing out loud.

No murder sprees, not a whole heck of a lot of vulgarity to my recollection*, nothing RAW or truly offensive, just a good story with comedy, drama, romance, and thought-provoking circumstances. This movie is easily a 7 or an 8 in my opinion.

*I just watched it too, but hey. I was enjoying the MOVIE and, in the end, do not recall anything to complain about.

Mitch Hansch/ movieswithmitch.com Ron Howard's "The Dilemma" is a multi-faulted film in search of itself but one that actually has something interesting to say and that's led by a highly charged performance from lead Vince Vaughn. Vaughn harks back to his younger years of more passionate portrayals rather than just relying on his frat boy shtick, even though Allan Loeb's uneven script tries over and over to trap him there. At many times you don't know whether to laugh or cry as the story fumbles to have a consistent tone. One moment it's slap-sticky yucks by having Vaughn fall into poisonous plants and then real situation drama with a tearful heartfelt prayer to God on a street bench. This film may get a lot of flack for indecisiveness but it's that same trait that fuels Vaughn's complex character's- and forgive me this- dilemma.

Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) catches his best friend's wife Geneva, played by Winona Ryder, cheating. The dilemma- whether or not to tell his best friend Nick Brannen, played by Kevin James. Or course he should. Right? Well, Ronny is in the car business with Nick and they are in the middle of a make or break it deal for the both of them. Ronny's the mouth (something that Vaughn has made a career out of) and he doesn't want Nick, who's the brains (something that James has not made a career out of), to let his ulcer ridden stress-out nature ruin the deal with heartbreaking news like that. But that only scratches the surface of how Ronny makes it so tough to decide. Ronny's habit of lying to solve the problems around him is perfectly summed up by Beth (Jennifer Connelly) his serious girlfriend; "You're not fixing anything, you're just breaking more stuff." One thing director Howard really taps into is the heavy responsibilities that come with having a best friend and how sensitive that relationship can be. Having to tell your very best friend in the world that his wife is a no-good-dirty-little-jackwagon-skank is no easy task (sorry, I'm getting married in less than four months) (married to the most beautiful and wonderfully faithful lady alive, that is!). Howard keeps the question in focus throughout of how long does it take to know someone or whether we can ever really know someone. Forget what the buddy comedy/ date movie trailers tell you, the very hurtful truths and consequences of extra-marital affairs are shown in all their ugliness. Again, this paints a confusing picture but at the same time it paints an uncomfortable and tense one that's at some slight level very thought provoking.

With so many distractions in "The Dilemma" it's Vaughn's performance that saves this film. His confrontations with Ryder's cheating Geneva sizzle, showing two sides to every story. In a tremendously raucous scene where Ronny finds the young tough guy with a sensitive side named Zip, played by Channing Tatum (here-me-now-and-believe-later Tatum will be one of the better young actors within the next few years), who's sleeping with Geneva, ends with Vaughn's crazed howling at the night using a make-shift blowtorch. A bravo scene indeed! Connelly and Ryder also handle their own weight just fine while Kevin James never reaches any other emotion than anxious and fearful while Queen Latifah's lame sexual metaphor spouting part is all but forgotten.

The climax takes place in the usually comedic setting of an intervention that doesn't know how to spilt time between comedy and dark drama. Like a Black & Tan beer the black Guinness drama pushes the tan Bass comedy to the bottom of the glass. This is Vaughn's film which made for no dilemma on whether or not to recommend "The Dilemma" to you. Recommended.

"This" made for no dilemma on whether or not to recommend. Proverbs 17:17

Normally if you go to a movie and then discover that the Mexican food you ate is doing a number on your stomach you get disappointed that you might have to miss some of the movie while you destroy the bathroom at the theater. That was not the case with this movie. I sat through the first 15 minutes because I wanted to at least see what was going on. At the 10 minute mark I thought I was going to blow up, but I held it in while hoping something funny would happen. Another few minutes went by and I rook a step out to give the janitors something to cry about. When I came back I asked my friend if I missed anything and he said he was about to leave.

I kept watching and laughed maybe once, kind of. I couldn't believe Jennifer Connelly was in this movie and it was sooo bad. Not to mention Vince Vaughn being a funny guy but providing no laughs throughout this whole movie. I guess that worked out well though because after another 20 minutes I was ready to blow again. Had I laughed hard at any point during this movie I would've need a gallon of bleach and a trip to the laundromat. But this movie sure didn't deliver it. After my final trip to the bathroom I came back to find my friend had left. Many others in the theater left throughout the movie as well. I sat and watched the rest, but mostly because I wanted to hold still and hope my stomach settled down.

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.