THE DILEMMA

There really isn’t enough plot in this thin and scattered dramedy to sustain nearly two hours of screen time.

Vince Vaughn stars as Ronny Valentine, a car-engine salesman who runs a car-engine company with his best pal, Nick (Kevin James). Both are happily coupled – Ronny’s in a long-term relationship with chef Beth (Jennifer Connelly), and Nick is happily married to Geneva (Winona Ryder), who doesn’t seem to have any discernible career or job. They are a happy quartet, who enjoy nights out dining and dancing and carousing together.

A tattooed wrench is thrown into the works, though, when Ronny accidentally stumbles upon Geneva locking lips and limbs with someone other than her husband. She’s having an affair with a beefy, insecure, well-inked musician named Zip (Channing Tatum), and Ronny is torn over what to do.

Should he tell Nick and risk having his best friend and business partner go off the deep end just as their boutique company is about to make a potentially lucrative deal?

Or should he keep quiet and play dumb and watch his best friend’s marriage slowly crumble?

Hence, the titular dilemma with which he struggles... and struggles... and struggles... and struggles.

The problem with this set-up in director Ron Howard’s rare misfire is that none of the characters involved are particularly endearing or lovable, so there’s a distinct sense of “who cares?” throughout. The escalating angst experienced by Ronny always feels manufactured (as do the increasingly absurd scenarios in which he finds himself), and the whole thing is played out as either a drama or a comedy depending on the scene. The film occasionally veers towards a heavier, more somber and realistic tone, only to careen into ridiculous, borderline slapstick territory a few minutes later. Neither one ever feels quite right and, unfortunately, the constant back-and-forth makes it hard to settle into the story.

Though Vaughn is his usual amiable, oafy self, and Connelly is nicely understated if a smidge too earnest, neither James nor Ryder is particularly appealing. Ryder, especially, comes off as a one-note shrew, and outing her to Nick should be a no-brainer for Ronny. Even Queen Latifah, who turns up in a cameo as an inexplicably raunchy automotive exec, feels way over the top and tacked onto the proceedings for marquee cred and little else. Only Channing Tatum’s sensitive dim-bulb is entertaining and watchable, which was a pleasant surprise.

Hanging a film on a singular quandary is a tricky thing. Sadly, doing so when the quandary itself is meh, and all the supporting structures are just as half-assed, makes for a very long, very dull moviegoing experience for folks watching it all unfold.