NOVOCAINE
Released: November 16, 2001
Following up his TV flop "The Downer Channel", Steve Martin returns with his first high profile movie since 1999's "Bowfinger". Playing a character that reminded me of the role Billy Bob Thornton played in "The Man Who Wasn't There", Steve Martin is dentist Frank Sangster. His life is seemingly perfect. His fiance (Laura Dern) is his his assistant in the dental office. Everything in his ideal life begins to fall apart when he sees his next patient, played by Helena Bonham Carter, whom Sangster feels a strong attraction to - enough to prescribe her some drugs against his better judgment. This alone would be enough for him to handle were it not for two variables - in the form of his bum brother (Canadian Elias Koteas) and the Bonham Carter character's incest-prone brother played by Scott Caan. Just when things appear to be folding in on Sangster he comes up with the perfect solution and admittedly one only a dentist would come up with or be willing to execute. First time dirctor David Atkins gives us just enough idea of what's going on to keep us on our toes as we build up to the brutally violent conclusion. If you've ever sat in a dentist's chair, this movie is for you.
95 Minutes
Artisan Entertainment