Choke
Directed by Clark Gregg.
Starring Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston and Kelly Macdonald.
Coming almost ten years after the mind-blowing "Fight Club", author Chuck Palahniuk's second novel adapted for the big screen is the story of an addict's quest for self-fulfillment. No film has been able to establish the same quirky style of cool that was so palpitating in "Fight Club", and director Clark Gregg's "Choke" is no exception. The movie knows better than to try and recapture the magic of its spiritual predecessor, and is a decidedly different experience in both style and tone.
Victor Mancini (Rockwell) has a lot on his plate. His hospitalized mother (Huston), who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, has forgotten who he is. His dead-end job at Colonial Dunsboro has him playing indentured servant to failed drama students in the seventeenth century (Victor refers to himself as "the backbone of Colonial America"). And on top of it all, he may just be the last and most despicable descendant of the one and only Jesus Christ. The guy clearly can't catch a break, so no wonder he uses his group sex addict meetings to pick up chicks and pretends to choke in restaurants, hoping to mooch off of potential saviors.
"Choke" succeeds in capturing the peculiar and eccentric elements of Palahniuk's text, often to hilarious effect; whenever visiting his mother in the nursing home, Victor must confront a senile old woman pestering him for an apology for the time that he supposedly touched her "woo-woo." Such small comedic bits are where the film really shines, because the overarching story is ultimately handled without much urgency. Everything feels a bit disjointed, more like a series of gags than a succinct motion picture. Victor's motives are often unclear; he simply waits for things to happen to him, and then reacts. The film explains his various character flaws through flashbacks depicting his rough childhood at the hands of his fugitive, drug-addicted mother, but never bothers to give the matter much closure.
Despite the story's flaws, everyone in the cast is top-notch. Sam Rockwell thankfully makes for a great sleazebag, but still gives Victor enough humanity to keep the audience rooting for him. Kelly Macdonald ("No Country for Old Men") makes a surprising turn as a hospital nurse reluctant to succumb to Victor's persistent advances. Anjelica Huston has a fun time playing Ida Mancini, lending some credibility to the occasionally exaggerated role. Even the bit parts are of good quality, with the director stepping out from behind the camera long enough to play Victor's stuck-up boss at Colonial Dunsboro, sentencing those who defy him to a day in the stocks.
Much like its characters, the film is far from perfect, but it is not without a certain appeal. Those who give "Choke" a chance won't find it hard to swallow, but may be left hungering for more.
Final Grade: C+
Directed by Clark Gregg.
Starring Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston and Kelly Macdonald.
Coming almost ten years after the mind-blowing "Fight Club", author Chuck Palahniuk's second novel adapted for the big screen is the story of an addict's quest for self-fulfillment. No film has been able to establish the same quirky style of cool that was so palpitating in "Fight Club", and director Clark Gregg's "Choke" is no exception. The movie knows better than to try and recapture the magic of its spiritual predecessor, and is a decidedly different experience in both style and tone.
Victor Mancini (Rockwell) has a lot on his plate. His hospitalized mother (Huston), who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, has forgotten who he is. His dead-end job at Colonial Dunsboro has him playing indentured servant to failed drama students in the seventeenth century (Victor refers to himself as "the backbone of Colonial America"). And on top of it all, he may just be the last and most despicable descendant of the one and only Jesus Christ. The guy clearly can't catch a break, so no wonder he uses his group sex addict meetings to pick up chicks and pretends to choke in restaurants, hoping to mooch off of potential saviors.
"Choke" succeeds in capturing the peculiar and eccentric elements of Palahniuk's text, often to hilarious effect; whenever visiting his mother in the nursing home, Victor must confront a senile old woman pestering him for an apology for the time that he supposedly touched her "woo-woo." Such small comedic bits are where the film really shines, because the overarching story is ultimately handled without much urgency. Everything feels a bit disjointed, more like a series of gags than a succinct motion picture. Victor's motives are often unclear; he simply waits for things to happen to him, and then reacts. The film explains his various character flaws through flashbacks depicting his rough childhood at the hands of his fugitive, drug-addicted mother, but never bothers to give the matter much closure.
Despite the story's flaws, everyone in the cast is top-notch. Sam Rockwell thankfully makes for a great sleazebag, but still gives Victor enough humanity to keep the audience rooting for him. Kelly Macdonald ("No Country for Old Men") makes a surprising turn as a hospital nurse reluctant to succumb to Victor's persistent advances. Anjelica Huston has a fun time playing Ida Mancini, lending some credibility to the occasionally exaggerated role. Even the bit parts are of good quality, with the director stepping out from behind the camera long enough to play Victor's stuck-up boss at Colonial Dunsboro, sentencing those who defy him to a day in the stocks.
Much like its characters, the film is far from perfect, but it is not without a certain appeal. Those who give "Choke" a chance won't find it hard to swallow, but may be left hungering for more.
Final Grade: C+