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The Dilemma

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, and Winona Ryder
Directed by: Ron Howard
Screenplay by: Allan Loeb

     When Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are in the same movie, I normally think the movie would be a comedy.  However, "The Dilemma" is actually a serious film about something that many Americans go through every year.  What happens when your spouse is cheating?
     Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) and his best friend, Nick Brannen, (Kevin James) are car engine designers who are working to get a contract with Chrysler to put an awesome new line of engine in some Dodge models.  Nick is married to Geneva (Winona Ryder) and Ronny is trying to get engaged to Beth (Jennifer Connelly).  While visiting a botanical garden where Ronny plans to propose to Beth, he discovers that Geneva is hanging around with another guy, Zip (Channing Tatum).  He is faced with a tough situation.  Does he tell Nick about what's really going on or does he let Geneva tell him?  Either way, Nick has to know.
     I am surprised that "The Dilemma" is really a drama rather than a comedy.  It's probably a good thing too because it deals with a serious issue that not very many people are comfortable dealing with, the issue of cheating.  My biggest complaint is that we see too much of Ronny and he talks way too much.  However, I like how his character handles the situation at hand.  After all, how do you tell your best friend that his wife is cheating on him?  If he tells Nick, it might distract him from building the best engine for Chrysler and might put their contract in jeopardy.  But if he doesn't know, Geneva will keep seeing Zip.
    The problem with this film is it doesn't quite know what genre it wants to be.  On one hand it could be considered a comedy after seeing the trailer, but after seeing the full length film, it could be considered a drama.  I'm going to call it a drama with a bunch of funny lines.  It's not going to be one of Ron Howard's best films.  However, he exemplifies a real life scenario that happens to many people without them even knowing it, even if it's in a pretty boring fashion.  People going through a similar experience like this can identify with the message of this film.  The truth will always come back to haunt you.
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