Teeth (2007) Review
Certainly an interesting film to start on.
You bring all sorts of expectations into a film based on the way it's marketed to you, and often confusion in that department can lead to disappointment, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with Teeth. The debut feature from Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth seemed to be marketed as a sort-of indie black comedy in its initial run in theaters, which is why I was surprised to find the Dimension EXTREME logo at the beginning of the DVD copy I watched last night. For those that dont know, Dimension’s EXTREME label is largely for unrated gore films, most of them indie or foreign, and in my experience, the hook of these films was the unrated material, over the intellectual material. So ding-ding-ding! Warning bells went off and I was afraid I had been duped by the marketing juggernaut once again.
Though I had been, I was still able to find plenty to enjoy in Teeth, as this is not a serious film in the slightest; this is an over-the-top comedy about a woman with teeth in her vagina.
The film starts off quickly enough that you get the gist and the joke of the film in no time. Dawn (Jess Weixler,) a young motivational speaker for abstinence in young adults, begins to feel stirrings in her nethers for the new guy in class, named Tobey (Hale Appleman.) Though they both share abstinence and purity as an interest, teenage hormones have other ideas, and a meeting at the lake that starts out playful ends up violently sexual. While Dawn was the intended victim of the violence, the real casualty of the encounter turns out to be Tobey, who loses more than his virginity. Rightly astonished by her own genitals, Dawn sets out to get answers and God help anyone who gets in her way.
First off, those looking for any real commentary on the famous myth of the vagina-dentata will be sorely bereft, as Lichtenstein seems content to use the myth as a means to an end. Redeeming values on the side of its writing or pacing are also absent, instead the film bungles its way through the second act, alternating seemingly unrelated scenes of a flustered Dawn with her campy macho brother played with gusto by Nip/Tuck regular John Hensley. It all boils over in an undercooked finale that makes the film as a whole feel a bit flat.
Having said that, what starts out kind of tongue-in-cheek crosses the line into utter absurdity at a certain point, and you just go with it. The deadpan way in which these teens deliver their dialogue is often hilarious, and the cast’s earnest reactions to a tooth-filled vagina make the overall experience a trash film-lover’s dream. Oh, and when the blood starts flowing, it gets pretty uncomfortable. Especially for the men in the audience.
The premise is ambitious and you can’t really fault the film for not living up to any amplified expectations, even if the marketing may have tried it’s darndest to sway you. If you’re willing to overlook some glaring problems, Teeth is certainly a unique ride.
You bring all sorts of expectations into a film based on the way it's marketed to you, and often confusion in that department can lead to disappointment, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with Teeth. The debut feature from Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth seemed to be marketed as a sort-of indie black comedy in its initial run in theaters, which is why I was surprised to find the Dimension EXTREME logo at the beginning of the DVD copy I watched last night. For those that dont know, Dimension’s EXTREME label is largely for unrated gore films, most of them indie or foreign, and in my experience, the hook of these films was the unrated material, over the intellectual material. So ding-ding-ding! Warning bells went off and I was afraid I had been duped by the marketing juggernaut once again.
Though I had been, I was still able to find plenty to enjoy in Teeth, as this is not a serious film in the slightest; this is an over-the-top comedy about a woman with teeth in her vagina.
The film starts off quickly enough that you get the gist and the joke of the film in no time. Dawn (Jess Weixler,) a young motivational speaker for abstinence in young adults, begins to feel stirrings in her nethers for the new guy in class, named Tobey (Hale Appleman.) Though they both share abstinence and purity as an interest, teenage hormones have other ideas, and a meeting at the lake that starts out playful ends up violently sexual. While Dawn was the intended victim of the violence, the real casualty of the encounter turns out to be Tobey, who loses more than his virginity. Rightly astonished by her own genitals, Dawn sets out to get answers and God help anyone who gets in her way.
First off, those looking for any real commentary on the famous myth of the vagina-dentata will be sorely bereft, as Lichtenstein seems content to use the myth as a means to an end. Redeeming values on the side of its writing or pacing are also absent, instead the film bungles its way through the second act, alternating seemingly unrelated scenes of a flustered Dawn with her campy macho brother played with gusto by Nip/Tuck regular John Hensley. It all boils over in an undercooked finale that makes the film as a whole feel a bit flat.
Having said that, what starts out kind of tongue-in-cheek crosses the line into utter absurdity at a certain point, and you just go with it. The deadpan way in which these teens deliver their dialogue is often hilarious, and the cast’s earnest reactions to a tooth-filled vagina make the overall experience a trash film-lover’s dream. Oh, and when the blood starts flowing, it gets pretty uncomfortable. Especially for the men in the audience.
The premise is ambitious and you can’t really fault the film for not living up to any amplified expectations, even if the marketing may have tried it’s darndest to sway you. If you’re willing to overlook some glaring problems, Teeth is certainly a unique ride.
posted by Cosby at 6:02 PM
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