“Choke” is a movie that wants so badly to be great but settles for being good. I was still entertained and enjoyed myself but there wasn’t really anything ground breaking or new here, movie-wise. Based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel “Choke” is about a Sex addict and colonial theme park worker who scams people in restaurants by pretending to choke so he can pay for his mom’s hospital bills. She has dementia, is dying, and also hides the truth about his lineage and childhood. I have to say, it’s a lot funnier than it sounds. Palahniuk is the same guy who wrote the book “Fight Club” which was a very overrated movie. If you don’t believe me, go watch it again and see what you think. This movie is nothing like “Fight Club” with the exception of the fact that Palahniuk enjoys writing about male characters driven by their ids. Having constant sex or punching things, everything is decidedly male in his world. The acting was great. Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston get more out of the material than seems possible. Supporting characters like Kelly McDonald do a great job too. It’s an indie “dramedy” that hits all the Sundance notes from quirky characters to poignant reveals. And I think this is where the film’s main problem lies. We’ve had many years of quirky indie “comedies” shoved down our throats. Quit trying so hard to be a quirky comedy starring a slacker who likes to have sex. That’s like the indie everyman character from the last 15 years. I got it. Now, show me something different. “Choke” just doesn’t blow you away but it does entertain you even though you’ve seen it all before in different combinations. Which is a backhanded compliment, really. Sure you’ve seen these elements before, but it’s done pretty well. Rumor has it the initial cut that screened at Sundance was not so well received so director Clark Gregg went back in and recut it. It makes you wonder if he went back just one more time what may have been accomplished. There are some times when you really have to suspend disbelief but ultimately if you look at the main themes of addiction, psychosis and delusion it almost fits together nicely in a literal and subtextual package. Just don’t look too closely and you’ll enjoy yourself. It’s a new genre: The quirky, indie popcorn movie.
—Chris Mancini
