Back in 1999, David Fincher and Jim Uhls teamed to adapt a novel by author Chuck Palahniuk. That teaming resulted in the excellent Fight Club. Now, nearly a decade later, the Palahniuk catalog has been dipped into a second time. This time out it is actor Clark Gregg (New Adventures of Old Christine) taking a stab. Choke is Gregg's second credited script, following 2002's What Lies Beneath, and his first shot at directing a feature.
I have not read either of these books (actually, I have not read any of Palahniuk's novels), but I have seen both of the films. If you are hoping for anything near the level of Fight Club, in either the writing or visual style, you will be left unfulfilled. If you are a fan of the book, I have read that you will likely be disappointed as well. If you merely hope for a good, involving film, I am sad to report that you, too, will be disappointed. I know I was.
Sam Rockwell plays Victor Mancini, and he is a sex addict. He spends his days going to sex addict support groups, sneaking off to have sex with group members, and earns a living as an historical re-enactor at a colonial-themed amusement park. When he isn't working, or looking for a quickie, he spends considerable time with his aging mother, Ida (Anjelica Huston), who is in a psychiatric home suffering from dementia. While he spends a great deal of time with her, she rarely knows who he his, most often confusing him with a dead lawyer.
Now, if dealing with his sex addiction and a mother suffering from dementia is not enough, Victor also has a habit of pretending to choke in order to get a restaurant patron to administer the Heimlich and "save" him. Invariably, the people insist on giving him money when he is in need. This is a scam he uses to raise the money to keep his mom in the home. Then there are his abandonment issues, as shown through the numerous flashback showing Ida serially kidnapping Victor from foster families.
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