OK, so I have to give this movie points for originality. How many films involve a dentist protagonist? I watched the featurette on the DVD and director David Atkins explained that he wanted to throw a curve ball at the audience by having Steve Martin play the main character in a dark comedy--since audiences are probably expecting something much broader. I didn't get any laughs out of this film; just some mild chuckles. But whether it's a dark comedy or a mystery-thriller, it doesn't quite gel. And ultimately, the film left a bad taste in my mouth--no pun intended. It's watchable, and at times quite intriguing, but it's definitely not a memorable film that I would watch on repeat viewings.

The cast is spirited. Steve Martin never ceases to please, whether he's playing a broad comic role or the straight man. Here, he plays more of the latter. But I wasn't surprised he was able to pull it off. If anybody has seen Lawrence Kasdan's "Grand Canyon," you know Steve is a versatile actor who can easily pull off a serious role. This isn't his first time playing the straight man. Laura Dern is amusing as Steve's neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, karate-kicking wife. Helena Bonham Carter is sassy and sexy, a totally convincing femme fetale. Elias Koteas has some nice moments as Steve's black-sheep brother. And last but not least, Kevin Bacon has an amusing unbilled cameo as an actor researching murder cases for his upcoming movie.

Danny Elfman's opening theme is wonderfully haunting. There are certain elements of "Novocaine" that I liked, it does have its moments (the twist ending totally caught me by surprise!!),but it just doesn't come together.

My score: 6 (out of 10)

I rented Novocaine because I like Steve Martin and Helena Bonham Carter and also because I knew nothing about the movie. I enjoyed it and it never bored me at any moment.

The movie seems to be characterized as a "black comedy", but I felt it was more of a satire. I think Novocaine is commenting on the struggle we all quietly face between living a safe, conventional life and pursuing our fantasies. Frank Sangster (Steve Martin) seems to have it all, money and a beautiful fiancé, with the only glimpse of discontent being and old French movie he plays for the patients, but which is probably more for him. When the sultry Susan (Helena Bonham Carter) sits in his dental chair, his fantasies are suddenly triggered. While most men (all?) would sympathize with Frank for his temptation, we are led to believe its cause is more of a gigantic moment of weakness, not because he's unhappy with his fiancé, Jean (Laura Dern). Also, while Frank is certainly a victim, there's nothing particularly noble about his actions during the film and you don't completely sympathize with him. And even when he achieves his "fantasy", it is so clichéd and paid for at such a high price, the movie doesn't ennoble Frank's fantasy. On one hand, the movie seems to be about pursuing one's dreams, but it's fairly cynical about it.

One of the best aspects of the movie is the effort given to the minor characters. It felt like they tried to give everyone something interesting to do. Even Kevin Bacon shows up for a small, but very funny part. Some of the movie is predictable and implausible, but there were enough surprises to keep it interesting and if I want complete believability I'll watch a documentary.

If there was any weakness in the movie, it's that, while we can understand Frank falling for Susan, there's not enough effort given to make it convincing that Susan had really fallen for Frank. This may have been on purpose early in the movie, to keep you guessing about Susan's intentions, but there should have been one scene before the movie is over which tells you why she wants to be with him. And the movie is a bit thin overall on the motivations and personality of Susan. She is apparently a drug addict and having a "difficult" relationship with her brother, but this is passed over too little.

If you want to watch something a bit different, sort of an "anti-Roxanne", this might be worth renting. On the other hand, if you fear going to the dentist, you may wish to take care.

Novocaine is a very strange film. It doesn't make up its mind whether it's a take off on a genre or is it playing straight. That said, the story has a lot of laughs and it was a complete surprise given the negative comments one had heard about this film. David Watkins' script and direction give this film a different look of what Hollywood is giving us lately. Steve Martin is a very difficult actor to cast and he has to have the right vehicle and direction in order to excel, as he does here. Sometimes Mr. Martin comes across rather shallow in some of his screen portrayals, but as the dentist at the center of this comedy, he is at the top of his craft. Laura Dern is just perfect in her role. She keeps getting better all the time, whether it's comedy, as it is here, or her other film this year, Focus. She's an actress who doesn't repeat herself. She's a true original. Helena Bonham-Carter is perfect as the junkie that appears in Steve Martin's life. Quite a change for her image, better known for her appearances in serious films. This must have been quite a turn around for this actress, better remembered for her work in serious English drama. The most remarkable scenes are those of the great Kevin Bacon as an actor tailing David Keith in preparation for an upcoming police film. He is hilarious as the method actor in search of ways to interpret the real life detective in the movies.

All in all, this is a very satisfying comedy.