Novocain

Production and year: USA, 2001 Original title: Novocaine Genre: Action comedy Director and screenplay: David Atkins III Cast: Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter, Laura Dern, Scott Caan Medical topic: dentistry, dental office Description: Novocaine, also known as procaine, is an ester-based local anesthetic. It has a short duration of action, few side effects, and is most commonly used in ophthalmology and, as it happens... dentistry. I know very little about dentistry. And I’m not particularly unhappy about that. However, based on the title of this film, I approached it with curiosity. The film was directed by a little-known director, David Atkins, who, incidentally, boasts something exceptionally useful when it comes to making a film about a dentist—most of his family are dentists (who, by the way, were present on set as consultants). What is this film about? Frank Sangster (played by Steve Martin) leads a comfortable life as a well-known and respected dentist. He has a great car, a modern house, and a beautiful fiancée. And everything would be fine if it weren’t for a moment of weakness and a prank the doctor decided to pull—it leads to him becoming a suspect in a murder case.  Conclusions? It’s a film like many others, following a typical American formula: everything was great, until suddenly—boom, crash, and bang... The film was billed as a comedy thriller. I’m not a film critic, but in my opinion, this film is neither a comedy nor a thriller—and it’s definitely not a mix of both genres. I encourage everyone to judge this film for themselves. As for my opinion—well, I was disappointed. The film, however, almost in keeping with its title, had a numbing effect on me—almost, because for me it was a general anesthesia...