THE DILEMMA

US, 2011, 105 minutes, Colour.
Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah, Amy Morgan, Chelcie Ross, Rance Howard, Clint Howard.
Directed by Ron Howard.

Americans. They’re certainly out there, extroversion personified. That in itself may be a friendly warning about The Dilemma and its style and impact. Americans out there.

It might seem a romantic comedy with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Connolly. Sometimes it is. It might seem a boofhead comedy with Kevin James. Sometimes it is. It might seem a drama about business and car manufacture and technology. Sometimes it is. It might seem a drama about fidelity and infidelity. And often it is. It makes for a heady kind of mixture.

Late in the film, it occurred to me that maybe the best way of responding to the film and its set of mostly unlikeable characters, is to take on the attitude of a therapist: sit, look and listen, while trying to read the characters, their problems and dilemmas, and looking for leads for their better mental and emotional health. Then, just before the end, there is an actual group therapy session, so this response was on the right track.

This is a problem drama for 40-somethings. The four central characters are at that age and their interests are in marriage, relationships, and success in their work. They value friendship as we immediately see. They value career as we then see. Kevin James is Nick, a wiz at technology for car engines. Vince Vaughn is Ronnie, his friend and partner, the mouthpiece and promoter for whom every presentation seems a variation on Saturday Night Live. Nick is long married to Geneva (Winona Ryder). Ron ought to be proposing to Beth (Jennifer Connolly, as the only really sympathetic character in the film).

So far, so good. Possibilities of a contract with Chrysler. Friends and success. An engagement in the offing.

But..., and here the dilemma starts. Ron sees Geneva with another man (a loopy Channing Tatum as Zip). And here is the dilemma. Should he tell Nick or not? He puts his foot in it with his sister who thinks he is warning her about his marriage. Nick is too busy with the project to listen, except to encourage Ron to propose. Geneva tries to put a story over on Nick. Beth just wonders what is wrong with Ron when he appears with plant poisoning and a black eye and a hyper state of anxiety.

For those of a calmer and quieter disposition in the face of such a dilemma, Ron’s reaction is so overboard, constant, grating, verbose, emotional, judgmental and self-righteous, leading him to snoop, photograph, threaten and give a singularly inappropriate toast at Beth’s parents’ 40th anniversary party, that you feel like avoiding him or giving him away. But, the therapist needs to listen and mull, even when the client is grating and unengaging. At times, you might even feel sorry for Geneva and her reasons for her affair – but she has no chance against the buddies.

The dilemma is worth pondering. How much truth should be told – and, importantly, when and how?

While the film does offer its answer, I’m not sure.

1. The title and expectations? For the characters? For the audience? The sympathies and judgments?

2. The world of car manufacturing, the technology, offices and business, Chrysler? The executives, the deals, sales and shows? PR? The experiences of cars, the American tradition, top models?

3. Americans and extroversion, out there? Emotions, thoughts, action, feelings? The impact of this extroversion on sensibilities from other cultures?

4. The introduction to the four friends, their talk, the meal, marriage, relationships, commitment? Each character emerging?

5. The car show, Ron and his spiel, Nick and his being urged to hug the executive, Ron revealing his jokes? His doing the deal with Thomas Fern? The meetings, the proposal, the carry-on, the jokes, the Power Point and the cars? Susan and her response – her experience with Ford, her being of a similar temperament? The contacts throughout the progress of the development?

6. Nick and his diffidence, large and short, Ron buoying him up, at work, his skill with the technology, his work with his assistants, the experiments, the deadline looming?

7. Ron and the background of his gambling, two years and his crash? His age, commitment? Relationship with Beth? Their ability to talk frankly with each other? His friendship with Nick? Geneva and her advice about proposing to Beth? His plan, going to the garden, seeing Geneva and Zip, following them through the plants, his fall, being poisoned, the diagnosis of the doctor? His face, his urinary tract? Beth and her puzzle? His story about the ball and the fat kids, trying to retrieve it – and the visuals of this?

8. Ron and his dilemma, the truth about Geneva? The extroverted response, trying to give his all? Considering every aspect? His attempts to talk to Nick and Nick’s being busy? Geneva’s story, about Zip? Phoning his sister and her suspicions of her husband? Following Nick to the massage parlour, the reaction of the proprietor? The phone calls? Geneva playing pool with Zip? His going to buy the camera, following Geneva? The photography outside the house? His not being at the party, Beth’s disappointment? Zip catching him, the clash, the smashing of the room, the fight?

9. Beth, her patience, a pleasant woman, her cooking skills, her worry, the party for her parents? Her reaction to Ron’s speech? Talking frankly with him in the kitchen? The request to go to Las Vegas, not telling Ron? Not trusting him in that city? The importance of trust and truth?

10. Geneva, her talks with Ron, the past stories and the relationship, her using this as blackmail, her performance and weeping? The lies, with Zip, going to his house, the relationship? Her being at the party, listening to Ron’s speech about honesty?

11. Zip, his tattoos, age, type, high, the death of his fish, attacking Ron, the fight, his weeping, bashing the car? His accepting the apology and the payment?

12. Nick as a character, at work, his friends, his not listening to Ron? His following Ron, seeing Zip, presuming that he was the bookie?

13. Ron, an excessive character, over the top in his expression, his righteous judgments on people, the long speech about honesty at the fortieth anniversary and its inappropriateness?

14. The intervention, Beth’s concern about his gambling? His sister (and the humorous flashback to dressing him up as a girl)? The doctor, the talk, the brother-in-law threatening him? Nick bringing Zip? Geneva ousting Zip? Beth and her puzzle? Ron telling the truth, Geneva telling the truth? Nick and his dismay?

15. The meeting, dressed up, Nick punching Ron? Going into the meeting? The presentation, Nick at the wheel? The spiel, Susan’s response, the contract?

16. The competition at the hockey, Nick and his attempt to hit the puck into goal, winning? The extroverted exuberant ending?

17. How well did the film present actual moral dilemmas – with the light and comic touch? Serious touches?