Odd coupling of love and laughs

This curious amalgam of heart-tugging drama and buddy comedy lurches from class to crass.

Every time director Ron Howard strikes an emotional chord, we are subjected to a ludicrous scene of idiocy involving Vince Vaughn and Kevin James that begs serious questions about why two intelligent and beautiful women would ever entertain the advances of these buffoons, let alone marry them.

Ronny (Vaughn) and Nick (James) have been best friends since college and now work together at B&V Engine Design, the company they both own.

They hope to pitch their state-of-the-art electric engine design to executives at a major company.

Automotive consultant Susan Warner (Latifah) will oversee the project before the big pitch of the prototype, and she is excited about what Ronny and Nick are claiming they can deliver.

While Nick works tirelessly to iron out gremlins in his design, Ronny frets about proposing to his girlfriend, talented chef Beth (Connelly).

During preparations to go down on bended knee, Ronny makes a shocking discovery: Nick’s wife Geneva (Ryder) is cheating with a younger man called Zip (Tatum).

Ronny faces the dilemma – keep the truth from his best friend until the automotive company has signed on the dotted line or tell Nick everything, aggravate his stomach ulcer and plunge the engine design project into chaos.

The Dilemma has all of the makings of an intriguing dissection of male relationships.

Connelly and Ryder play their roles straight while the men milk laughs whenever they can.

Changes in tone are jarring and by the time the proceedings draw to a close, we’re hoping that the various relationships implode because we cannot see any realistic hope of a happy future.

Of course, loneliness and regret do not sit well with audiences and so The Dilemma serves up simplistic, sugar-coated escapism.