I am
not an anti-dentite...
This
is a nifty little film about the imaginary
ramblings of a dentist, Campbell Scott, whose
wife, Hope Davis, is also a dentist. They have
three daughters, all of whom are closer to their
father than their mother. He strongly suspects
his wife of having an affair... it could also be
considered a sexual fantasy of his, to some
extent. But he doesn't want to confront her
about the adultery because it would assuredly
set into motion the machinery of separation,
divorce and custody battles. Every time he
thinks his wife is about to confess, he finds a
way to avoid the subject or avoid her entirely
by going for a drive or sleeping outside. It is
a bizarre situation that he hopes will work
itself out if he just ignores it long enough.
To complicate matters, one of his dental
patients (Denis Leary) gets mad at him for
shoddy work on a filling of his. From the time
that the man confronts him about it, he starts
to imagine him following his every move and
pestering him about everything he does. The
imaginary patient acts as his alter-ego, the man
he would like to be in some sense. The alter-ego
speaks his mind and does what he wants. However,
the dentist just tries to cope with the
situation with as little confrontation as
possible.
I won't detail the story's climax... but the
film may surprise you with the direction it
takes. 'The Secret Lives of Dentists' possesses
a sharp wit and a biting sarcasm that rips into
the mythical fabric of suburban wedded bliss.
Scott, Davis and Leary are all fantastic in this
movie that will have you smirking and cringing,
sometimes simultaneously, for the entire running
length.
I strongly recommend it, especially to those
viewers who appreciated last year's sleeper hit,
'Adaptation'. Actually, it feels a lot like a
Charlie Kaufman script.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
A lively
cast elevates this film centered on the lives of
a married couple, both dentists, played by Hope
Davis and Campbell Scott. The script by Craig
Lucas is clever, the performances tone perfect,
and appearances by Denis Leary and Robin Tunney
add significantly to the proceedings. "The
Secret Lives of Dentists" is one of those films
that makes me glad I embrace the indie scene.
Dark, funny, insightful, and biting are all
words to describe a film that deserves your
attention.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
