Novocaine (R, 2001)

This dark and stylish tale of lies, cheating, extortion, incest, betrayal, and murder centers on dentist Frank Sangster (Steve Martin). Frank has a successful dental practice that is operated with efficient precision by his fiancée, Jean Noble (Laura Dern), yet he is vaguely unsatisfied. When beautiful patient Susan Ivy (Helena Bonham Carter) asks for narcotic pain medication, Frank knows it is wrong, but he is drawn to Susan, almost intoxicated by her. He prescribes 5 pills, his first small departure from a life of conventional propriety. Then the pharmacist calls to ask about the prescription, which Susan altered to say 50 pills. Against his better judgment, Frank approves the pill count. Susan comes to see him in the office after hours. He knows he should not perform dental work without staff around, but he agrees. They end up having sex. Every time he breaks the rules he ends up getting in deeper trying to cover up Susan's violations and his own, becoming more enmeshed and more trapped in his lies.

"Average man caught in a spiral of deceit" movies are really about the loss of control. In NOVOCAINE, Frank's world at first appears as exact and precisely regulated as his dental office. Although he tells us in a voiceover that everything is the way he wants it, we see hints almost immediately that he finds it sterile and unsatisfying. Even before he meets Susan, we see hints of his tolerance for – and interest in – a less controlled life. As we see Frank fall under Susan's spell, it appears that Frank feels suffocated by his success and is intrigued by those who chose another path.

This movie is a throwback to classics of the "film noir" genre, with a seductive but mysterious woman in distress drawing the law-abiding hero into a web of corruption. Instead of rain-soaked streets on moonless nights, though, this film is set in the white, sun-lit environment of a California dentist. Director David Atkins and stars Martin, Dern, Koteas, and Bonham Carter make good use of the contrast between the bright, sterile setting and the dark desires of the characters, and the plot twists keep surprises coming until the very end.

Studio: Artisan Entertainment
Director: David Atkins
Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Laura Dern, Steve Martin
Genre: Drama
Run time: 95 minutes
Theatrical release: November 16, 2001
DVD release: April 23, 2002
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: violence, sexuality, language and drug content