On N List of Movie Reviews
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Novocaine (2001)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
3/26
3/26:
One reviewer said, "Root canal work would be preferable to watching Novocaine."
He's 100% wrong. Trust me on that. Anyway, I won't call the film "funny," but it's purposefully dark
comedy. After a while, the neo-noir feel creeps in, and it eventually makes sense overall. Showing
how running a dentist office works on the side is helpful.
I knew from the get-go that Helena Bonham Carter's character, who must have stepped off the set of
Fight Club straightaway, was a drug addict. The rest of the story is fairly
predictable but not the revelation of the mastermind. At least, it's unlike
Dr. Giggles or The Dentist.
In spite of Novocaine appearing cheap, the strong cast is a big plus. I didn't know that Kevin Bacon
was going to show up since he wasn't listed in the opening credits. Steve Martin is fine, but his character
being seduced by the drug addict isn't believable. Orson Welles played that angle so convincingly well in
The Lady from Shanghai. How about the scene of the doomed dentist
pulling out all of his teeth to get away with the murder of Harlan? I don't think so.
All in all, Novocaine makes for an all right viewing and won't scare anyone who has a slight amount of
aversion to dentists.