THE DILEMMA DVD (2010)
SYNOPSIS:
When Ronny sees the wife of best mate Nick kissing another man he makes it his mission to get answers. As his investigation dissolves into comic mayhem and crazy farce, Ronny learns Nick has a few little secrets of his own!
MOVIE REVIEW:
This really came as a surprise to us. Ron Howard directing a comedy? We are fans of dramas like Angels & Demons (2009), Frost/ Nixon (2008) and Cinderella Man (2005), but a comedy? A check with Howard’s filmography shows that the last time the award winning filmmaker directed a comedy was more than 10 years ago in 1999 (Edtv). That may be the reason why we couldn’t find ourselves liking this awkwardly made comedy.
The protagonists of the movie are two best friends and partners in an automobile company. They are working on a very important project. At this point, one of them sees his friend’s wife kissing another man. While he seeks out the truth behind this forbidden relationship, he has to figure out how to tell his friend without affecting his work.
The movie has managed to bring together an impressive ensemble. Vince Vaughn (Couples Retreat) and Kevin James (Grown Ups) play the best friends, while Jennifer Connelly (He’s Just Not That Into You) and Winona Ryder (Black Swan) play their partners. Somewhere in the mix are Queen Latifah (Valentine’s Day) and Channing Tatum (Dear John). While we feel that Vaughn and James have some room to command screen presence, everyone delivers decent performances. Stealing the show in particular is Ryder (watch out for a scene where she puts on a show to be the victim) and Tatum (the beefcake is as amusing as he gets).
Yet, we don’t find ourselves laughing a lot, considering that this is supposed to be a comedy. The leading men have made us chuckle quite a bit with their previous works (Vaughn’s Wedding Crashers and James’ I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry really were funny stuff), but their latest work together lacks a much needed punch. Maybe it’s the 111 minute runtime which is too long for its own good, maybe it’s the inconsequential plot development which didn’t manage to involve audiences’ emotions, or maybe there’s something holding the movie back.
The movie changes gear halfway through its overlong duration and becomes a drama about guilt and remorse. However, it is difficult to empathise with the characters (especially with Vaughn and James’ reps as comedians) and take them seriously.
The result is a somewhat half baked movie which seems more suited for the small TV screen. Howard is known for his ability to conjure big and magnificent sets involving thousands of extras. A project this small seems inadequate for a guy who has been known to make blockbusters. That is probably why local distributors didn’t have the confidence to bring this movie to local cinemas.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
This Code 3 disc has 15 minutes of Deleted Scenes (Howard says that the original cut was much longer) where you see characters engaging in more banter. Trailers for other Paramount productions are also included on the disc.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie's visual transfer is fine, and you can choose to watch the feature in either English or Thai 5.1 audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
Posted on 29 May 2011
