Despite the unsavory elements of the story and only average acting from otherwise good actors, the story holds the audience's interest, subtlely foreshadowing the climax, which unfortunately "pays off" all too quickly after the amount of work that goes into setting it up.
This, plus the aforementioned average acting and dark storyline are the primary reasons that this movie is usually found in the bargain bin. Still, Helena Bonham Carter is definitely worth watching as a drug addict, abused by her incestuous brother. Some of the character's dress and actions are vaguely reminiscent of her portrayal of Marla Singer in Fight Club, and she remains sufficiently tortured throughout the film to add a slightly deeper layer to the film.
Not for the squeamish (or dentist averse), the film has an ironic but "happy" ending that leaves the viewer a bit unsettled, mainly because it ends a little too cleanly. Not Steve Martin's best work, by far, but certainly an amusing diversion.
Steve Martin plays a dentist who is happily engaged to Laura Dern and has a normal life until one day he finds Helena Bonham Carter in his office. He is immediately stricken by her and starts to fantasize about her until finally he has a full fledged affair with her. Now, I would pick Helena Bonham Carter over Laura Dern any day of the week...but when we're introduced to Steve Martin's character as crazy and head over heels for his fiance, having him forget it all just for one woman he knows for about five minutes is poor writing and awful character development.
What follows is a hideous mobius strip of a movie. Steve Martin goes to Helena Bonham Carter, some thing happens, he gets in trouble, and then he goes back to Helena Bonham Carter and every thing starts all over again. This happens a good four or five times. Halfway through the movie you're thinking "When is this going to end?!"
Did I mention Helena Bonham Carter does nudity for this? First why does this movie need nudity, and second was she so bad on finances that she needed to be rolling around on top of Steve Martin? I was almost offended by that.
The only savoring part of this movie is Kevin Bacon playing a famous actor (grand irony) who is one of the most competant people in the movie. Otherwise, I would just avoid this whole mess like your life depended on it.
Anyone who watches a movie that contains Steve Martin has high hopes. While the premise of this film is witty and highly creative, it ultimately lets the viewer down, worse than any depressant I've ever taken.
Twisted, non-sensical and certainly humorless dialogue is delivered by an awkward cast and a vacuous script. The movie put me to sleep in the first five minutes, a much quicker acting soporific than Novocaine the drug and with a more bitter aftertaste.
Steve Martin is a kindly, but obsessed with his profession type who declares and demonstrates his "perfect" world: a flawless dental practice that runs like a well-oiled machine. Much of this perfection is due to his head assistant/fiancée expertly played by Laura Dern. They look to be the perfect match. Everything about her is perfectly organized, and she is undoubtedly the perfect fiancée. The worm in the apple in the form of Helen Bonham-Carter comes in with a raging toothache and a taste for drugs. Steve is instantly smitten as only he can be. Quickly lies, deceit, suspicion and murder follow.
The cast is excellent. Bonham-Carter carries off her waif as a grunge role with charm. Playing her psychotic hoodlum brother, Scott Caan has a menacing, jaunty swaggering charm worthy of his dad, James. The pace is good, even brisk. However, as a comedy noir, there were a few too many episodes that were painful rather than funny (usually connected with teeth.) Only Laura Dern was able to carry the audience in whatever direction she took. Steve Martin seemed more of a pitiable object; you laugh but you feel guilty.
Good, but not memorable.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer
Known to cause slight post-viewing disappointment or indifference.
Some have been known to experience a few brief moments of humor, but no actual audible laughing has been recorded.
Intercut clips of mastication and ingestion used to supplement affect.
Causes some moments of discomfort due to tooth extraction, but less than knowledge of exposure to whole viewing procedure.
Accompanying sucking noise heard by many viewers identified as time wasting away in void of average cinema.
Some types may enjoy the temporary numbness, while most are likely to wish they had been put under so they would've never experienced the procedure.
Talented actors and comedian used to humor new director. Better luck next time.
Dosage low enough to avoid permanent damage, so use at your own risk.
Procedure not recommended.
The performances are good. The screenplay doesn't cheat. The direction is sure, at least in the second half. Unfortunately, it took me a long time to get into the film - perhaps it's because it's not quite what you expect of a Steve Martin movie. The first half is violent and eerie, the second half loosens up and the natural charisma of Carter and Martin starts to show through. It is at that point that you start to care about the characters, which is vital in being drawn into a suspense thriller. Similarly, Martin's natural comedic niche - the smart man who is bewildered by his inability to deal with a situation - is not obvious in the first half of the film, making the direction seem heavy-handed and the suspense seem too thick.
This DVD edition has some short features and a few cut scenes. The video and sound are fine, but no better than a VHS tape. The director's commentary and cut scenes are the highlights, as is usually the case for DVD extras. It's always fun to hear a first-time director's commentary, as is the case here.
Helena was sooo GREAT in it! she's always really awesome in her movies! :)
you should all definately see this.. its a great comedy.. and you never know whats gonna happen next! :)
Helena was sooo GREAT in it! she's always really awesome in her movies! :)
you should all definately see this.. its a great comedy.. and you never know whats gonna happen next! :)
The opening montage showing the skeletal works of a person chewing are unique and when the narrator mentions decay and how it destroys from the inside out building up insidiously, it will leave you running for dental floss and a toothbrush. The director's narrative that goes along with this DVD reveals some unique facts. Take for instance, the fact that the director's father and brother were both dentists. Teeth run in the family. It lends some realism to the storyline centering on a dentists supposedly gone bad.
Just when you think you are on to this story, it takes twists and turns that, try as you might, take you blind-sided and pleasantly surprised. There are a few moments the movie misses when sticky-sweet romance enters the equation, but for the most part the movie is right on the mark. It takes some different turns than classical noir and doesn't follow that formula. Though not on par with Hitchcock, it runs in that vein and won't disappoint someone that is looking for noir with an additional twist.
And this unlucky Frank meets a sexy patient Helena Bonahm Carter -- who asks him, "will you do it in chair?" -- and later, you would realize she is not an usual patient when she shows up at the dentist's office very late at night. Frank is inevitably drawn to her, cheating his fiance Laura Dean, but who can blame him? And quite naturally, and miserably, he has to pay the price with the uninvited drug-related investigation, and then perhaps, something more.
Director David Atkins once wrote the script of Johnny Depp's "Arizona Dream," of which off-beat, original atmosphere I still don't know what to do with. And in "Novocaine" too, his first-time director attempt, the style is the same. Part thriller, part comedy, and part romance, the film goes with a steady speed, but the point looks often unsure even though the twists and turns of the story is intriguing. In short, the film doesn't bite, or don't know where to bite.
But one thing is there which I can recommend for sure, and that's Helena Bonahm Carter. She succeeds in surprising us with the sexiest performance she ever did, and as a "woman of fate" she cuts an extraordinarily convincing figure, spilling over the charm she had never shown in "Planet of the Apes." If you're her fan, this film is not to be missed.
So, film company Artizan made another interesting film, or noir comedy so to speak, of Steve Martin, whose career we find very hard to evaluate since the 1990s. But whether or not you like "Bowfinger," I think he can surprise us with unexpectedly good acting (such as that of "Spanish Prisoner" for instance), and in fact, Steve Martin in "Novocaine" is good as before. But truely amusing is Ms. Carter's coquetish character, who just can't help herself, and "Hard Way"-like cameo appearance of Kevin Becon who unwittingly torments guilt-ridden Martin.
This was a noble attempt to create an intelligent thriller about a dentist (thus the "root" pun) whose life is turned upside down because of a pretty face. This has happened many times before, both in the movies, and in real life, and, as a male, I will grudgingly admit it does have credibility.
The man in this movie is a dentist played by Steve Martin, who seems to have it all together. He has a successful practice, and Laura Dern is his fiance. Of course when a movie hits you over the head with information like this, you know things are going to change fast.
This change occurs when the pretty face (Helena Bonham Carter) appears in his office, and nothing is ever again the same. She first cons Martin and a pharmacist out of some narcotics, then appears again and seduces him in his own dentist chair. The fact that she does this so easily shows that maybe he wasn't as happy as he first declares in the movie. Or maybe it has something to do with the movie's funniest line. When Martin asks her if she does this all the time with doctors and dentists, she replies just dentists because they're dumber, no offense.
So far, so good, and the situation gets even stickier when Martin discovers the next day that his whole stash of narcotics is missing, and one vial was found at the scene of a tragic accident. This leads to an encounter with the brother of Carter's played violently by Scott Caan, a definite chip off his old man's block. While the movie has several "bad guys" of varying degrees, it is here that we get the shot of who the real "whodunnit" person is. That's it. Strike three. Movie over.
So now we have to sit and wait for Martin to catch up with us, and the movie continues while pretending it didn't reveal this to us. While watching, I'm reminded of the far superior "Something Wild", where Jeff Daniels goes on a far more exciting roller coaster with Melanie Griffith. This movie should have gotten some tips from that one.
While there are some humorous parts, the timing is sometimes bad. While being interviewed at his home, the plot decides to introduce Kevin Bacon as an actor researching a cop role. I imagine this was supposed to be funny, but it just didn't work at this time. We find out later that the character was introduced here to be a plot device later, but that scene is also clumsy and improbable.
And that's the problem. The movie wants to give us some laughs as well as the tension. It does the tension fairly well, but the comedy doesn't work enough. Steve Martin doesn't need to revert back to a "Wild and Crazy Guy", but if he's going to go for laughs, he should play less staid characters than he's played lately or learn to become a better straight man while others get the laughs.
So pick up "Something Wild" to see this subject treated better, and the orginal "Lethal Weapon" to see crime and comedy work well.
One more note. While Steve Martin isn't THAT old, and Dern and Carter aren't THAT young anymore, and Martin does keep fit, and we're not going into Woody Allen territory here, we still have the "older male actor gets younger women" syndrome yet again. Don't hold your breath waiting for Sally Field to couple up with Freddie Prinze, Jr. in the near future.
Being not such a fan of Steve Martin's older work I was surprised on how great his preformance was.Me also being a fan of black comendy could also have something to do with me liking the film so much.The supporting cast(Helana Bonham Cater and Laura Dern)I have never even see or heard of.I have no comment on those actresses earlier on so they were a new acting experence for me.
The film deserved a 4 star rating because of the un-nesserary profanity in the film.The volence was also a little bit too hign but all in all the plot was wonderful and the actor's preformances were excellant.Would recomend to all.
ENJOY!
NOVOCAINE is somewhat reminiscent of the 1985 film noir AFTER HOURS. In both, the hero finds his life going down the toilet due to bizarre circumstances beyond his control. However, in the former, the plot is darker and the humor has a harder edge. Indeed, NOVOCAINE is often more drama than comedy. Having made his reputation as a comedian, Steve Martin is remarkably deadpan serious in his role as the foil for the, um, more interesting characters that have forced their way into Sangster's life. Scott Caan, regrettably on screen all too briefly, is chillingly menacing as Susan's psycho brother, Duane. Kevin Bacon is excellent as the actor spending time with the police department to absorb local color for an upcoming gig. Carter has the meatiest role as the strung-out and abused, but basically good-hearted, Susan. And Laura Dern, always a Babe worth an ogle, is effective as Frank's understanding girlfriend. Maybe too understanding, come to think of it.
Sangster's solution to his growing list of problems is this quirky film's weirdest touch. It's not something you'd want to try at home when flossing just isn't enough.
Steve Martin does a brilliant job in his role and makes me believe that he could do other things besides comedies. I believe that he has the talent to do dramas. But, his comedic abilities are tremendous, and they show through in the film in spots where only he could make it funny. The other actors did a good job too. Laura Dern was terrific and Helena Bonham Carter was also excellent.
Novocain had great editing and directing. It definitely had me intrigued into the story. I don't give it 5 stars simply because there were moments when the camera views and music were very cheesy and overdone.
However, Novocain was an excellent film that didn't get enough praise and publicity. 4 Stars
Frank Sangster (Steve Martin) is a dentist with a successful practice, a beautiful finance, Jean (Laura Dern), and a future that promises more of the same. Until one day out of the blue, Susan (Helena Bonham Carter), a new patient, shows up at his office with a toothache. And before it's over, he gives her a root canal, and she gives him the "works," which includes wheedling a prescription of Demerol out of him. Can it be she has a drug problem? Can Frank smell scam? Apparently not, because the next day the entire drug supply in his office is missing, and so is Susan. She does leave one of her more personal items behind in the office, however, and when Jean gets wind of it, Frank-- to paraphrase a famous line-- has some `splaining to do. And in veritably a nanosecond, the life of one Frank Sangster is turned upside down, and that old gravity, reality, begins it's pull on him; and there's only one way it can possibly take him: Suffice to say, it isn't up.
Bringing a feature film to the screen is no easy task, and it must be especially challenging to make the attempt while wearing two hats (writer and director). And from all appearances, this is where Atkins gets into trouble, as the problems with this film (and there are many) begin with the screenplay. Writer Atkins simply doesn't give director Atkins much to work with, and it just may be that he was too close to his own material, which prevented him from seeing it objectively. And that objective viewpoint is something this film needed. Badly. With the exception of a pivotal element of the climax, there is nothing original about the story at all, and that single element is too ludicrous to be effective, or believable. And therein lies the basic problem with the film: Even if you manage to suspend disbelief while watching it, you would still need an imagination with a Gumby-like flexibility before any of it would seem convincing or the least bit probable. Given a best case scenario, the story just isn't plausible at all. The dialogue is poorly scripted (For instance, as it unfolds, no less than three characters ask Frank, "Can I ask you a personal question?" which is about two times too many to be credible), the execution of the material lacks the fine-tuning it needs and, inexplicably, the actors fail to bring any definition at all to their characters (they needed help, "direction," and obviously Atkins-- for whatever reason-- was unable to supply it). Filmmaking is inherently a collaborative enterprise, and when a project lacks that cohesive unity, it invariably has a negative impact on the final product. And it certainly does here.
Steve Martin turns in what is arguably the most convincing performance of the film, but it is far from his best work. His portrayal of Frank lacks the nuance he usually brings to the characters he creates, and the result is a fairly nondescript protagonist. And, though Frank comes across as "real" overall, Martin fails to really get into his skin or to explore the motivations that drive Frank on to doing what he does; and because of all that precedes it, as well as the way in which it is presented, what would have been merely a ridiculous ending becomes absolutely ludicrous. Martin has a good go at it, but in the end he barely manages to keep his Frank afloat, and under closer scrutiny, the credibility slowly begins to unravel.
Helena Bonham Carter, meanwhile, gives a performance that doesn't hold up to a casual glance, let alone close scrutiny, and it's one of the biggest surprises of the film. The usually reliable Carter-- who is a terrific, versatile actor-- winds up with possibly the most unrealistic character she's ever created. For this film to work, the audience must believe that Susan is an addict; But there is nothing in Carter's portrayal to confirm, or even indicate, that this is the case. And here, more than anywhere else, is where the credibility of the entire film dissolves, negating any of the more positive aspects in the balance. It's a one-dimensional, one note character, and it takes it's toll on the whole picture.
Laura Dern has also done better work-- though, as Jean, she looks good, and certainly brings a lot of energy to the film. A decent effort, but it's not enough to save "Novocaine," and-- like the audience-- she gets little return on the investment of her time here.
I thought it was a shame that such a good cast was utilized for a film like this. Not that it was bad, per se, but it just was not good. Can you tell that I am ambivalent about "Novocaine"?
One of the best elements was the music. That is the only thing that seemed to hold the movie together.
A great cast, Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter and Laura Dern can't resurrect this embarrassing attempt at black comedy about an engaged dentist (Martin) who has an affair with a druggie (Carter) and then gets framed for murder.
First time writer director David Atkins comes from a family of dentists but that's just not enough to justify the green-lighting of this amateurish mish mash of a movie. There is one great moment with an unbilled Kevin Bacon playing an actor doing research for a movie role as a cop. His scenes grilling Martin are dead on. The rest of the movie is just plain dead.
In the so so supplemental material, Steve Martin says, "The only reason I signed on was that I once was in a David Mamet movie and wanted to be in another one with a guy named David." He has a pained expression and it's clear he sadly realizes -- perhaps after the fact -- this is a dud.
What makes this film barely worth renting is the unexpected documentary, "Bitten," on forensic dentistry.
At least no one says, "The tooth? You can't handle the tooth."
I'd give this feature (minus the extras) zero stars but that rating isn't available.
Frank Sangster, played by Steve Martin, is a suburban dentist who has it all: a thriving practice, an attractive blonde dental hygenist/fiance (Laura Dern) and even a television monitor showing a relaxing travelouge of rustic Italy for patients to watch, as he performs root canals on them. Susan Ivey (Helena Bonham Carter) is the girl all of our mothers warned us about. From the moment she slithers into his office seeking percodan for recreational purposes, we know that this woman will cut a path of murder and mayhem across Sangster's thin veneer of respectability. Helena Bonaham Carter takes a break from costume epics and sizzles as the decandent, drug addled Susan. Clearly Bonaham Carter delights in her over-the-top characterization of Susan and is sublimely funny as she cunningly manipulates Steve Martin to do her will. Kevin Bacon is a good actor who has made a lot of bad career decisions. In "Novocaine" he shines as a self-absorbed method actor studying for a police detective role and unwittingly stays one step ahead of actual detectives with his by-the-numbers, Hollywood scripted analysis of the crime.
If you liked the farce "Election" with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon you will probably love this movie. It's too bad "Novocaine" had such a short run at the art houses but I'm hoping it will find a new life when it is released in the DVD and VHS formats.
A local oral surgeon sponsored a private screening for local dentists and their staff members. In other words, the theater was packed with dental professionals. We had a ball! It played very well to our audience, as the movie was technically very good (dentally speaking). Other dental-type movies have left a lot to be desired in that category!
The movie was indeed a comedy, allbeit a dark comedy. It's the kind of humor where you laugh, but with your hand over your mouth to cover up the fact that your humor is a bit deranged. Although, perhaps I am speaking for myself.
Laura Dern, Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter, and Kevin Bacon all turn in super performances. It was a fun ride, and the who-done-it guessing game was much fun!
I recommend this movie, especially to the dental community or anyone who is not squeamish!
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