Opened: November 16, 2001

Directed by: David Atkins

Starring: Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter, Laura Dern, Elias Koteas, Scott Caan, Lynne Thigpen, JoBe Cerny, Preston Maybank, Kevin Bacon & Keith David

Wild until the very end, Novocaine is a quirky mixture of romance, comedy and thriller but none of the pieces fit together.

After sleeping with his patient Susan (Helena Bonham Carter), all of dentist Frank Sangster’s (Steve Martin) narcotics go missing. While his girlfriend and coworker Jean (Laura Dern) is worried about him, more out-of-character occurrences happen to Frank.

There’s a lot to process in this storyline. By the end of the movie, you’ll feel like you needed to keep notes to figure out how everything happened and the ultimate conclusion. With odd instances of x-ray and miscolored shots, the entire film feels discomforting.

However, the roles are well-acted. Dern stands out with her personality that continually changes as the story progresses. And, Kevin Bacon’s scenes are confusing but memorable.

Final say: It’ll give you a numb feeling. ★☆☆☆☆