Add Novocaine to the growing list of inspired titles wasted on numb films.
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11/16/01
Novocaine (2001)
37
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:105
Fresh:39
Rotten:66
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: The quirky Novocaine flirts with both dark comedy and noir suspense, but the result is a jarring mix of tones which never quite mesh.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Novocaine, Artisan Entertainment’s edgy, unpredictable crime thriller, stars Steve Martin as a prosperous dentist whose well-ordered existence is thrown into turmoil when an alluring new patient... [More]
Starring: Steve Martin, Helena Bonham-Carter, Laura Dern, Kevin Bacon
Director: David Atkins
Reviews for Novocaine
Although Novocaine isn't filled with cavities, its smile and bite aren't perfect.
11/16/01
Is never broad enough to be funny nor stylish enough to satisfy its film noir aspirations.
11/16/01
Might best be described as modest. It is modestly comic, modestly inventive and modestly entertaining.
11/16/01
A hilarious Kevin Bacon cameo almost makes up for this disappointing trip to the doc.
11/16/01
Top CriticNovocaine isn't the kind of movie you can really sink your teeth into, but it is a nice passing fancy, a creative spin on a classic crime form that has just enough bite.
11/16/01
Some Martin fans may be unnerved by the movie's mix of lethal medicine and laughing gas, but unlike most recent comedies and thrillers, Novocaine will not leave you numb.
11/16/01
A collection of film noir cliches and outlandish plot conniptions, it keeps straining for ironic wit in an effort to appear more cleverly modern than it really is.
11/16/01
Watching this very talented cast wasted on this rubbish is almost as painful as a root canal.
11/15/01
The mystery is terribly plotted and the satirical elements are limited and not very funny.
11/15/01
While this is in theory a great cast, they manage to completely screw the thing up.
11/15/01
One of the slickest and most skillful black comedies of the year in the blistering thriller Novocaine.
11/15/01
Much like my last trip to the dentist, this was really painful.
11/15/01
Top CriticLike an appointment spent in the hands of a capable dentist, there are certainly worse experiences to be had, but there are also much better.
11/15/01
The plot takes a few unexpected twists, and Martin and Bonham Carter sustain our interest throughout.
11/15/01
Atkins wants to expose hidden moral decay, but his slack direction fails to touch a nerve.
11/15/01
A cracked piece of storytelling -- a funny and constantly surprising exercise in comic tension.
11/15/01
The performances are terrific, it's stylishly directed, and the script does a clever job of setting us up to expect one thing and then delivering something completely different.
11/15/01
Proves initially intriguing in a junky sort of way, but in the end is just plain numbing.
11/15/01
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