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Novocaine 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by David Atkins
R, 100 min. (violence, sexuality, language, drug use) |
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Starring: Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter, Laura Dern, Elias Koteas, Scott Caan
Producers: Paul Mones, Daniel M. Rosenberg
Screenplay: David Atkins
Distributor: Artisan Entertainment
Released: 11/16/01 (Limited) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
It's been four years since Steve Martin sunk his teeth into a juicy role - David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner
(one of 97's best films). With David Atkins' Novocaine, Martin has once again found his calling as the "normal guy" caught
up in something he doesn't quite understand. Part comedy, part film-noir, Novocaine uses dentistry as its analogy for
life's curveballs. Atkins effort here is not a classic, but it's enjoyable enough to warrant a viewing. His crafting is clever enough
to fool many viewers. In fact, if you're not able to deduce the film's "twist" early on, Novocaine will be a delight. However,
if you've figured it out beforehand, the film will most likely border on a tedious exercise in tying-up loose ends. Which category
the viewer falls into will determine their satisfaction with the picture.
Martin is Frank Sangster, a dentist whose life is ordered and routine, mainly because his fiance, Jean (Laura Dern), is
a perfectionist. Jean is also his hygienist, making his daily routine a model of consistency. His life is suddenly shaken when
his brother, Harlan (Elias Koteas), shows up on his doorstep asking for a place to stay, and an attractive drug addict,
Susan (Helena Bonham Carter), needs a root canal but also some demorol for her "pain." Soon his practice has been robbed
of all pharmaceutical drugs (including cocaine) and Susan's psychotic brother has been found dead in his home. Now the
police suspect him of murder because of his suspected infidelities with Susan. Frank is trapped in a web of deceit and
betrayal, and now must navigate his way out of his ordinary life. To give away any more of the story would be to cheat
the viewer, so suffice to say things get a bit entangled.
Martin is clearly a good choice to play Frank, the unwilling participant in a game of betrayal. His comedic tendencies,
most effective in his films like Father of the Bride, help him fashion a convincing performance to compliment
the film's heroine, Susan. Bonham Carter is suitably morose, but likable in a "rescue me from drugs" kind of way,
injecting life into Frank's mundane existence. Frank is unable to resist her advances, mainly because "That's the nature
of attraction." Bonham Carter pulls the film along with her, piercing the story's tendency to focus too much on Frank's
self-made demise and bad luck.
Novocaine features cameos by Scott Kane and Kevin Bacon, with Bacon providing much of the film's true humor.
Bacon plays an actor who is researching the world of the detective - here he is given the opportunity to question Frank
about his involvement with the murder. Martin and Bacon would make an interesting team given what they prove here,
and it would be wise for a casting director to pair them in another film someday soon. Laura Dern plays the over-the-top
Jean with an irritating ferocity that gets under your skin - a sure sign that she's played her part well. Atkins' direction
is adequate, although not perfect, and his willingness to explore visual techniques that involve an X-ray as transitional
swipes between scenes is an original idea. Here, his Frank is X-rayed - he's laid out in full display, weaknesses and all.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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