The Dilemma Review

Rating system (out of five):

Stars = measures the film's cinematic quality.

Hearts = measures the film's enjoyability.

Bowls of Ice cream = measures the numbers of bowls of ice cream it would require to get me to watch the film again.

The Dilemma is a classic story putting forth the endless question: bros or hoes? The plot is simple, should our hero tell his best friend some news he won't like hearing, in the middle of the biggest business deal of his life, or does he wait 'til things have settled, knowing that he has lied all that time. Throw in a couple of ladies, and the awkward comedy that only Vince Vaughn and Kevin James can provide, and the recipe is complete.

In the beginning, the film presents ideas that are universally familiar. The characters are people we know and the plot is something we can believe, but once we are hooked into relating with what is going on, we are given twists of comedic gold. Our boys deliver clever dialogue with charming timing, but it is when the physical comedy comes out that this duo truly shines. Vince Vaughn takes a thorough beating in this film, something that us "little guys" can appreciate once in a while. Also seasoning the film are unique supporting characters that bring something wacky to the world. Queen Latifa is a particular delight in a role as a woman who is especially turned on by cars. Her lusty descriptions of engines are just clever and silly enough to really work.

Winona Ryder's character gets a bit wearing after a while. The voice she was using for most of the film sounded so much like the old lady version of herself she played in Edward Scissorhands, it was a bit distracting, but as we weren't meant to be fond of her, it worked.

The film is set in Chicago, the perfect city to house the combined feelings of anonymity in the large urban landscape, and small-town closeness that only the midwest can provide. The shots of the city were lovely, and it made me miss Chicago something awful.

All in all, this film was fun and light and perfect for a weekend afternoon with nothing to do but eat popcorn and watch movies.

My Rating:

3 1/2 Stars

4 Hearts

0 Bowls of Ice cream