Have you ever watched a film and wondered WHAT the film makers were trying to say with this picture? Well, this is exactly how I felt as I watched "Eversmile New Jersey"...a film that just seemed confusing and with no apparent purpose. I am not sure if it's because it was a bad script, or the director or producer had some strange vision I just couldn't understand OR Daniel Day-Lewis was just having a very off performance. I think it's likely a combination of all these factors.
In this story, Fergus (Day-Lewis) is a traveling dental missionary in South America. There is no religious angle, but his zeal and intensity seem religious. He teaches kids the importance of good brushing and hygiene and he also does some free dental work along the way. For some indiscernible reason, Estella insists on traveling with him and together they have some adventures....which are mostly very boring.
While creating a story around such an odd character would be difficult, it might just be possible. But in this case, it just didn't work for many reasons. Fergus seemed almost crazy or autistic, as he seemed to have little ability to relating to people...which is odd considering his job is mostly public relations. He often gets angry or behaves in ways that simply are incomprehensible. The same can also be said of Estella. Their motivations and thoughts are just indiscernible.
Overall, this is a very confusing and not particularly enjoyable film...one that left me cold and baffled as to why they made the story in the first place. I was also baffled because nearly everyone in the Argentine apparently understands and speaks English. A truly bizarre viewing experience...one that really is hard to even describe.
In this story, Fergus (Day-Lewis) is a traveling dental missionary in South America. There is no religious angle, but his zeal and intensity seem religious. He teaches kids the importance of good brushing and hygiene and he also does some free dental work along the way. For some indiscernible reason, Estella insists on traveling with him and together they have some adventures....which are mostly very boring.
While creating a story around such an odd character would be difficult, it might just be possible. But in this case, it just didn't work for many reasons. Fergus seemed almost crazy or autistic, as he seemed to have little ability to relating to people...which is odd considering his job is mostly public relations. He often gets angry or behaves in ways that simply are incomprehensible. The same can also be said of Estella. Their motivations and thoughts are just indiscernible.
Overall, this is a very confusing and not particularly enjoyable film...one that left me cold and baffled as to why they made the story in the first place. I was also baffled because nearly everyone in the Argentine apparently understands and speaks English. A truly bizarre viewing experience...one that really is hard to even describe.