Review of Novocaine (2001) by Jason R — 22 Jan 2010

NOVOCAINE.

Highly entertaining and inventive. A very humorous movie. Intelligent but not without its share of clever pratfalls and gags. Strange and ingenious plot in which a host of shady characters is pitted against one another in a dark comedy suspense thriller with noir elements and romance. Steve Martin was very funny as naïve, unsuspecting though far from innocent Dr. Frank Sangster, head of a lucrative dental practice, who finds himself at the center of a murder mystery. He is being framed for a series of crimes which he did not commit and must find the real perpetrator(s) asap to satisfy the authorities who are convinced that all the evidence points only to him and are hot on his trail.

Great supporting cast. I found Helena Bonham Carter very convincing in the role of a youngish, trashy but sweet prostitute. Laura Dern was also credible playing Dr. Sangster?s tough-minded fiancee who was also his chief dental assistant. Kevin Bacon was very good. Unpredictable finale resolves all questions in a rather silly but somehow appropriate wrap up.