The Dilemma (PG-13)

THE DILEMMA (PG-13)

MOVIESAL'S RATING: B

Cast:

Vince Vaughan....Ronny Valentine

Kevin James....Nick Brannen

Jennifer Connelly...Beth

Winona Ryder...Geneva

Channing Tatum...Zip

Queen Latifah...Susan

Directed by: Ron Howard

Sometimes in life, you have to ask yourself which is more important: doing the right thing, or protecting your best friend? This is the titular dilemma faced by Ronny (Vince Vaughan), who witnesses his best friend's wife making out with another man. Should he tell his best friend (Kevin James), or keep his mouth shut? Ultimately, which will hurt them more? To make matters worse, Ronny is supposed to be proposing to his own long-suffering girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly), but how can he do that knowing what he now knows about how marriage really works?

It's not an easy situation, and it's dealt with fairly well in the new comedy from Ron Howard. The screenplay feels a little long and plodding, partially because it's more complex and intricate than you might imagine. It is also goofy and silly and some of the scenes take far too long play out, eventually taking away from some of the humor. But by the end of the movie, I was genuinely curious what direction they were going to go in (particularly given Vaughan's past work The Break-Up, a romcom with an ending not many romcoms have). Much of this script was predictable, but it had enough surprises to keep me engaged. The characters were multi-faceted and fun to watch. Of course there were the obvious jokes and physical sight gags, as you'd expect from any movie like this, but there was also a surprising amount of heart. I laughed through much of it, largely because Vince Vaughan is a bundle of manic energy, not in a Robin Williams way but in a way all his own. He delivers long, complicated lines that shouldn't even make sense (and sometimes don't even seem to be English) with effortless wit and impeccable timing. Either you like him or you don't, and if you do you'll like this movie. If you don't, you already know it.

Kevin James is becoming America's new "funny fat guy", poised to replace the likes of Jack Black (who still has him one-upped due to his huge star power and ability to sing, though he seems to fall flat at playing romantic leads) and Chris Farley. He has carried movies in the past (Hitch would have been nothing without his great, self-effacing portrayal), and here he starts to play around with some depth. It's a more complicated part than he's used to, and I enjoyed seeing him in it.

I personally have always been a fan of Queen Latifah. She looks great in this movie and has some funny moments, but ultimately her character seems a waste for such a big talent. I would like to see her deleted scenes on the DVD, as I'm sure she didn't sign on to play such a minor role. 

If you have seen the trailer, you know this movie and you already know whether or not you'll like it. If you haven't, I'll show you a line. If you laugh, you'll get this movie. If not, stay away.

Ronnie: "I'm going to tell your husband he's married to Helen Keller."

Geneva: "Helen Keller?"

Ronnie: "Yeah, you know...the one with all the personalities."

Geneva: "Sybil."

This line made me laugh. What that says about me, I don't know. But I do know that I enjoyed this movie, even if it was slightly too long.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Entertaining? Yes

Enlightening? At times.

Summary: A little long, but Vince Vaughan fans won't be disappointed.