Teeth (C or 2/4 stars)
F, F, F & G. Teenage girls & boys alike have always had a coinciding Fascination and Fear of the Female Genitalia. Never has this been more prominent than in Mitchell Lichtenstein's very, very black comedy, 'Teeth'. Dawn (Jess Weixler) leads her high school's chastity group. But though she works hard to suppress her budding sexuality, she IS a teenager. And when some male friends and her monster-like stepbrother threaten to steal her virginity, a stranger to her own body (her toothed vagina) comes to the rescue. Though the film's tone in continually uneven, I have to admit that I fell for its dark-but-funny take on sexual power.
When we first meet Dawn, we think she's nothing but a normal suburban teenager. She's pretty, sweet, concerned over her ailing mother's health, & like any teen-sibling rivalry, she can't stand her stepbrother, Brad (John Hensley, of Nip Tuck). Dawn has to deal with a lot at school, as well. She's constantly made fun of for saving herself until marriage. That said, she finds herself attracted to Tobey (Hale Appleman), and vice-versa. And though he initially respects her virginal wishes, he violates her at a nearby lake one day -- BIG mistake. Unbeknownst to Dawn, her vagina starts chomping down on Tobey's member.
It would appear that Dawn has a mythical biological 'adaptation' called vaginal dentate. In other words, anyone who 'enters' her (without permission) would feel the wrath of her teeth-lined vaginal wall. Now curious about her own physicality, she ventures to a gynecologist for the 1st time. She soon finds herself in a sticky situation, and the doctor receives a similar fate as Tobey ... to his fingers. From this point on, not only will Dawn have 3 more encounters like these previous ones, but she'll also suffer school crises, a death in the family, and she'll battle her principles as a woman.
You really feel for Dawn after a while; and that's one of the film's biggest successes. Whoever this new actress is, she's done a great job at creating a 3 dimensional character. Where all else fails, it's her acting that steadies the film. You see, Dawn's dad is a train wreck. Her loving mother is succumbing to a disease. Her friends are deserting her. Her body is confusing her. And her stepbrother is a provocative asshole (his demise is amazing; as it involves his dog swallowing something very near & dear to him). She's grappling with it all.
I mentioned an uneven tone earlier. I think that will work for some people, and not work for others. It's hard to define this film in 1 genre because it offers: the subtle wit of a black comedy, the serious topic of faith, the high-pitched minutia of teen dramas, the severed limbs (so to speak) of horror flicks, the 'spoofing' of the nuclear towers (situated behind Dawn's house), and it offers the elements of a coming-of-age/female empowerment movie; all the while, warning young men to respect the wonders of the female body. The film works on all these levels, but not consistently.
For example, one minute I'm grimacing as Dawn gets raped, the next minute I'm laughing at her over-the-top screams at the sight of a penis-less groin (even the blood is campy). One minute I'm cringing at the obvious allegorical plot points, the next I'm laughing out loud at the (intentionally) ridiculous teeth attacks. One minute I'm rolling my eyes in frustration, the next I'm smirking in delight. But I GET what the director aimed to do ... to poke fun at specific film conventions by rolling them all in to one, brisk, 85 minute movie. I didn't love 'Teeth', not by a long shot. The mix of serious teen troubles, goofy horror, and outrageous comedy doesn't always gel. And it needed some spark. But I DO appreciate that it portrays how young women & men can (or can't) relate on the topic of sex.
When we first meet Dawn, we think she's nothing but a normal suburban teenager. She's pretty, sweet, concerned over her ailing mother's health, & like any teen-sibling rivalry, she can't stand her stepbrother, Brad (John Hensley, of Nip Tuck). Dawn has to deal with a lot at school, as well. She's constantly made fun of for saving herself until marriage. That said, she finds herself attracted to Tobey (Hale Appleman), and vice-versa. And though he initially respects her virginal wishes, he violates her at a nearby lake one day -- BIG mistake. Unbeknownst to Dawn, her vagina starts chomping down on Tobey's member.
It would appear that Dawn has a mythical biological 'adaptation' called vaginal dentate. In other words, anyone who 'enters' her (without permission) would feel the wrath of her teeth-lined vaginal wall. Now curious about her own physicality, she ventures to a gynecologist for the 1st time. She soon finds herself in a sticky situation, and the doctor receives a similar fate as Tobey ... to his fingers. From this point on, not only will Dawn have 3 more encounters like these previous ones, but she'll also suffer school crises, a death in the family, and she'll battle her principles as a woman.
You really feel for Dawn after a while; and that's one of the film's biggest successes. Whoever this new actress is, she's done a great job at creating a 3 dimensional character. Where all else fails, it's her acting that steadies the film. You see, Dawn's dad is a train wreck. Her loving mother is succumbing to a disease. Her friends are deserting her. Her body is confusing her. And her stepbrother is a provocative asshole (his demise is amazing; as it involves his dog swallowing something very near & dear to him). She's grappling with it all.
I mentioned an uneven tone earlier. I think that will work for some people, and not work for others. It's hard to define this film in 1 genre because it offers: the subtle wit of a black comedy, the serious topic of faith, the high-pitched minutia of teen dramas, the severed limbs (so to speak) of horror flicks, the 'spoofing' of the nuclear towers (situated behind Dawn's house), and it offers the elements of a coming-of-age/female empowerment movie; all the while, warning young men to respect the wonders of the female body. The film works on all these levels, but not consistently.
For example, one minute I'm grimacing as Dawn gets raped, the next minute I'm laughing at her over-the-top screams at the sight of a penis-less groin (even the blood is campy). One minute I'm cringing at the obvious allegorical plot points, the next I'm laughing out loud at the (intentionally) ridiculous teeth attacks. One minute I'm rolling my eyes in frustration, the next I'm smirking in delight. But I GET what the director aimed to do ... to poke fun at specific film conventions by rolling them all in to one, brisk, 85 minute movie. I didn't love 'Teeth', not by a long shot. The mix of serious teen troubles, goofy horror, and outrageous comedy doesn't always gel. And it needed some spark. But I DO appreciate that it portrays how young women & men can (or can't) relate on the topic of sex.