Choke
by Clark Gregg
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DVD details
Actor: Anjelica Huston, Kathryn Alexander, Kelly Macdonald, Sam Rockwell, Teodorina BelloDirector: Clark Gregg
Brand: Fox
Writer: Clark Gregg
Producer: Beau Flynn
Producer: Derrick Tseng
Producer: Gary Ventimiglia
Producer: Johnathan Dorfman
Producer: Laurie May
Writer: Chuck Palahniuk
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 92 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-02-17
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Choke
DVD Review: Too Big to Swallow Whole
Summary: 4 Stars
"Choke" is so bizarre that I really don't know what to make of it. It's a fascinating film, but its eccentricities are at times so overplayed that it felt like they were being drilled into my head. The very concept doesn't sit that well with me. It tells the story of a sex addict who cons rich people out of their money by pretending to choke in upscale restaurants. He does this, you see, because he has hospital bills to pay, all of which go towards the care of his mentally ill mother. Basically, "Choke" is a strange film about really strange people. That may be part of the film's appeal, I guess, as is the fact that, in a demented sort of way, it's actually very funny, although I'd be lying if I said that I completely understood the sense of humor. This adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel has a charm about it that's oddly disturbing, which is to say that not all audiences are going to respond to it.
"Choke" begins in much the same way as another Palahniuk adaptation, "Fight Club": the main character/narrator, Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell), is introduced at a twelve-step meeting with other sex addicts (one of which is played by Joel Grey). And much like Edward Norton's character, Victor doesn't go for the therapy--he goes to meet women, and he spends quite a bit of time with the woman he's supposed to be sponsoring. When he's not having sex in dimly lit rooms or at restaurants begging for the Heimlich maneuver, he gets by as an historical tour guide for a Colonial-era theme park. He doesn't get along with his superior, Lord High Charlie (Clark Gregg, the film's writer and director), who always insists on keeping everything as historically accurate as possible. The two cardinal rules: No modern amenities, and absolutely no modern English. Victor works with his best friend, Denny (Brad William Henke), also a sex addict; he eventually falls in love with an exotic dancer named Cherry Daiquiri (it's not her real name).
Victor's sexual escapades aren't limited to his addiction meetings. He has had passionate encounters with virtually every nurse at the mental hospital housing his mother, Ida (Anjelica Houston). She's a surprisingly sad character, and not just because she doesn't recognize her own son when he visits; through a series of flashback sequences (which I won't describe), we discover that she wasn't that good a person. It's likely that years of guilt (and sniffing glue sticks) have contributed to her mental decline, which is probably why she wants to reveal a secret to Victor, one that would explain where he came from. This would mean a lot to Victor, who never knew his father. Unfortunately, since Ida always thinks Victor is someone else, he's no closer to learning the truth. It doesn't help that he can't let go of the past, with years of resentment holding him back.
This brings me to Paige Marshall (Kelly Macdonald), who appears to be Ida's doctor. Victor immediately finds her interesting, mostly because she's the only health care specialist he hasn't slept with. She initially refuses to give into him. She does, however, care deeply Victor's mother, which is why she proposes ... let's just say an interesting method of restoring Ida's mental condition (no need to spoil it for you). Then Victor discovers his mother's old journal, written in Italian. Fortunately, Paige knows the language, so she can translate it for him. Hopefully, it will have the answers Victor is looking for. Paige eventually gives him ... let's just say an interesting explanation for where he came from (no need to spoil this one, either). Needless to say, Victor tries to have sex with Paige. But for the first time, something prevents him from going all the way. Maybe it's because she offers herself in the middle of the hospital's chapel. Could you get aroused with a crucified statue of Jesus staring down at you? Or maybe it's because Victor actually likes Paige and wants to know her as a person.
I told you this was a strange movie. But that doesn't mean I disliked it. The unusual characters and offbeat plot constantly made me wonder where the film would go next, and I have to say that it was a strangely satisfying experience. I won't go so far as to say that I understood it, but I certainly enjoyed trying to figure it out. As for Victor, he isn't as clear-cut a character as you might think. No one ever is. Consider the scene after he answers a personal ad on an adult website; the woman he meets is sexually stimulated by the thought of being raped, so she wants him to wear a stocking over his head and carry a knife. But the experience is a disaster for them both because he doesn't want to follow her rules. Never mind the fact that she actually has rules for a successful rape--the simple fact is that, at that moment, a sex addict is unable to do what he does best. Why? Because he's thinking of Paige? Because he only likes submissive women? Your guess is as good as mine.
Another way "Choke" is similar to "Fight Club" is that it ends with a plot twist that reverses half of what you think you know. As with most plot twists, the plausibility factor will likely undermine the cleverness, which in turn will undermine the message. How I feel about it, I'm still not entirely sure. I can say the same thing about the film in general. "Choke" prides itself on being an oddity, telling a story many won't understand about characters many can't identify with. That being said, I was intrigued all throughout. I found myself involved with the characters, and I wanted to know how the plot would be resolved. I'm recommending this movie, but it's obviously not going to appeal to everyone.
Description of Choke
CHOKE - DVD MovieNot many movies about addiction and terminal illness can end up comedies, but Choke pulls it off. Protagonist Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell), a disgruntled, unrepentant sex addict, works at a cheesy colonial theme park, while his dying, addled mother Ida (Anjelica Huston) thinks he's her lawyer instead of her son. Ida's doctor Paige (Kelly Macdonald, Trainspotting, No County for Old Men) says the only way Victor can save his mother is to impregnate Paige for a controversial stem-cell treatment--and according to his mother's diary, Victor himself is the result of a questioable fertility experiment with a particularly intimate holy relic...by now you may have recognized the darkly satirical hand of author Chuck Palahniuk, whose prickly comic novels (Snuff, Invisible Monsters, Lullaby) smash taboos with brutal glee. Choke doesn't achieve the broad cultural scope or cinematic spectacle of Fight Club, but fans will find plenty to enjoy--consider Choke a more intimate examination of Palahniukian themes. Rockwell, star of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Matchstick Men, always seems on the brink of true stardom; here he gives another freewheeling but emotionally rich performance that will add to his offbeat but compelling repertoire. The strong supporting cast, including Joel Grey, Brad William Henke (Me and You and Everyone We Know), Bijou Phillips (Hostel: Part II), and screenwriter/director Clark Gregg (The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, Spartan), flesh out Palahniuk's caustic yet funny world. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Choke (Click for larger image)
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