Review of The Dilemma (2011) by The D — 01 Aug 2013

The Dilemma is a dramatic comedy directed by Ron Howard and starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. I went into this movie with low expectations, based on word of mouth and the reviews I was reading, but I was pleasantly surprised with this film, although it has a number of flaws. It seemed like at times the director couldn't mix the drama and comedy effectively enough and it just came off as confused. There are also moments in this film that felt like they weren't going anywhere in particular and were a bit sloppy at times. Although Vince Vaughn's character isn't the most likable lead, his performance along with everyone else's are generally quite good (especially a scene-stealing Channing Tatum who plays a very emotional "tough-guy"). This movie is also surprisingly dark at times, which I personally liked and I thought it added an extra dimension to the film.

Overall, I enjoyed the film enough to recommend it to anyone who enjoys buddy comedies and bro-mances with care for the characters, even if the movie is tonally inconsistent and sloppy at times.

I give The Dilemma a 6/10.