GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM IS LIKE PULLING TEETH.
Boring and reliable dentist Frank Sangster (Steve Martin) is seduced by a drug addict (Helena Bonham Carter), something that throws the good doctor into a vortex of deceit and death. This stab at an old-school film noir pairs the serious Martin from The Spanish Prisoner (1998) up with the funny Martin from films like Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), and adds a twist that is not too difficult to figure out (at least not to anyone who has seen a fair share of film noir thrillers). Results are hardly believable; what’s worse, it’s not hilarious or exciting either.
2001-U.S. 95 min. Color. Written and directed by David Atkins. Cast: Steve Martin (Frank Sangster), Helena Bonham Carter (Susan Ivey), Laura Dern (Jean Noble), Elias Koteas, Scott Caan, Keith David. Cameo: Kevin Bacon.