Novocaine (2001)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

David Atkins

Writers (WGA):

Paul Felopulos (story) &
David Atkins (story) ...

Release Date:

23 November 2001 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Crime Is Not Only Done By Criminals.

Plot:

A dentist finds himself a murder suspect after a sexy patient seduces him into prescribing her drugs.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Dentist | Jail | Untrusting Friend | Rabbit With Teeth

Cast

Chelcie Ross	...	Mike
Steve Martin	...	Frank Sangster
Laura Dern	...	Jean Noble
Lynne Thigpen	...	Pat
Polly Noonan	...	Sally
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Susan
JoBe Cerny	...	Pharmacist Wayne Ponze
Elias Koteas	...	Harlan Sangster
Yasen Peyankov	...	'Sunshine Lounge' Bartender
Scott Caan	...	Duane
Teri Cotruzzola	...	Attractive Complaining Patient
Lucina Paquet	...	Mrs. Langston
Preston Maybank	...	Gelding
Sally Kao	...	Chinese Wife
Quincy Wong	...	Chinese Husband

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality, language and drug content.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG (theatrical release) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (MPAA #37950) | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Cedarburg, Wisconsin, USA

Company:

Artisan Entertainment

Trivia:

Steve Martin and Scott Caan did not get along during filming due to Caan's reckless behavior toward a stunt person in a scene in which his character smashes a beer bottle over the head of a man in a bar.

Goofs:

Continuity: Bruise on Frank's left cheek changes notably between scenes,

Quotes:

Lance Phelps: There's no way that you did it.
Frank: Yeah, I didn't.
Lance Phelps: Yeah, of course not. Because... it's way too obvious. The audience would never believe it.
Frank: What audience?
Lance Phelps: You know. You know. Like if this was a movie.
Frank: This is not a movie, Lance. This is real life.
Lance Phelps: I know that. But do they know that?
Frank: Who?
Lance Phelps: You know. The audience.

Movie Connections:

References The Hard Way (1991)

Soundtrack:

Concerto No. 3 in G for Violin and Orchestra, K.216

Strangely intoxicating

To start with, any movie in which Helena Bonham Carter gets naked is a good thing.

This is a weird weird movie, but good pacing and casting saves it. A more disciplined director could have turned it into a cult classic.

Steve Martin is convincing in a challenging part. He is a fine actor.He brings just enough comedy so the movie doesn't descend into the land that light forgot. This edge gives the film strange believability.

Laura Dern is also exquisite walking a fine line to achieve a balance between farce and drama. Her character, blondness and 'hard body' look contrasted effectively with HBC's petite, auburn wickedness.

At the end, I wanted to watch it again to appreciate the fine points I missed the first time through.

I would describe it as a darker " The Whole Nine Yards".