“All I had to do was answer one simple question: what would Jesus not do?” Choke aims to answer this peculiar question of morality with a 90-minute cinematic rampage through sex addiction, self-discovery, and the realization that the embodiment of a holy foreskin’s DNA may be walking the earth. Chuck Palahniuk’s latest big screen adaptation is a dark comedy, in tune with a foul representation of human motive.
Main character Victor Mancini (played by a scruffy Sam Rockwell) is the incarnation of a man without remorse or ethic, Victor along with his best friend Denny (Brad William Henke), work at a colonial life reenactment site, where they play off each other perfectly and create an amusing atmosphere of dirty, taboo humor.
Victor’s childhood is spent jumping between foster families has led to an addiction to sexual gratification (which he ironically indulges at sexual addict support groups). His mother’s dementia has landed her in a nursing home that he can only afford to keep her in by conning Good Samaritans out of both money and feeling. By forcing himself to choke at fine dining establishments, Victor cons random do-gooders into saving his life to create an unbreakable bond. Afterwards, he sends letters to them describing his inability to pay bills, and they feel so sorry for him that they end up sending money to help him pay his fabricated debts.
Rockwell does a great job of playing such a shameless character, convincingly embracing the attitude of a conniving sexual addict. Victor’s role in the colonial life reenactment is portrayed with casual hilarity, and even his misuse of good-natured people is worthy of a laugh. That being said, beyond Rockwell, Henke, and a few gems in smaller roles, the cast mostly misses. Paige Marshall (Kelly Macdonald), Victor’s main love interest, is boring and awkward in her role. She seems to have very little skill in building dimensions of character, and her monotonous portrayal of a confused young woman is amateur. While some eccentricity is necessary in Paige’s role, to a degree, Macdonald makes the character uncomfortable to watch.
The other main problem with this film adaptation is how much of the book is left out. Granted it would be impossible to highlight all of Palahniuk’s sexual musings or disturbing thoughts in movie form, but there was far too much time spent on drawn-out childhood memories and not enough on their later impact on Victor’s character.
Most importantly, this movie is not Fight Club in any way. While there is still a basis of nihilistic belief, it is addressed in a completely different fashion. The serious and dramatic nature of the iconic film has been replaced with an overtly comedic style; Choke is more human. Despite its flaws, this movie is worth all 90 minutes of your time, even just for the chance to laugh and the humor of human pathos.
