Let’s play a game called “Name That Film!” I’ll describe a plot, and you try to guess what movie is being described. Here’s we go: A man struggling with his unsatisfying life finds an alter-ego within himself, acts out violently, has a number of sexual escapades, and learns a lesson about who he really is and what it means to live. If you guessed David Fincher’s 1999 film, “Fight Club,” you’re really close!
I was actually referring to “Choke,” the new film from first-time director Clark Gregg starring Sam Rockwell (“Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”). If you’re wondering about the similar stories, both “Fight Club” and “Choke” are based on novels by Chuck Palahniuk.
Several of Palahniuk’s books have distinct similarities. The main characters are often people who feel marginalized by society and react with self-destructive aggressiveness, a kind of story that can be described as “transgressional fiction.”
“Choke” focuses on the life of sex addict Victor Mancini (Rockwell). By day, Victor works at a historical theme park, playing the role of an indentured Irish servant in colonial society. By night, he goes to restaurants and pretends to choke on food so that wealthy people will save him and give him money.
All of this “work” is for Victor’s mother (Anjelica Huston, “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” “The Darjeeling Limited”), who suffers from dementia and is being cared for in an expensive private hospital. Victor is content to let his mother die, due to the trauma she inflicted on him as a child, but thanks to his mother’s new doctor, Paige (Kelly Macdonald, “No Country For Old Men”), he comes to suspect his heritage may be more “divine” than he previously realized. Dealing with the potential goodness within him proves to be more than a challenge for the jaded sex addict.
Sam Rockwell’s performance is what makes this film worth watching. Even though the rest of the film seems all too familiar, Rockwell brings freshness to his portrayal of Victor. He is an anti-hero in every way, so watching him try to become an actual hero is captivating. Rockwell’s comedic timing is dead on, and his dramatic scenes carry the perfect amount of gravitas. Each of Sam Rockwell’s roles is touted as his “breakout role,” but this one might actually do it for him.
The performance of Brad William Henke proves to be a pleasant surprise. Henke plays Victor’s best friend and fellow sex-addict, Denny. It’s easy to see someone like Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up,” “Pineapple Express”) in this role, but Henke brings an air of innocence to the role of a man inspired by love (with a stripper, naturally) to clean up his act and take control of his life.
Huston plays the same “quirky mother” role she’s been doing for a while, but the addition of dementia to the character really allows Huston to shine. She is alternately pitiable and unforgivable.
“Choke” is far from the perfect film. The story and its twists are predictable (even if you haven’t read the book) and the editing is too reminiscent of “Fight Club.” It’s certainly possible that Gregg intentionally did that as an homage to the more well-known Palahniuk-based film, but I doubt it.
Still, “Choke” is a dark comedy that is actually both dark and funny, a feat that few in the genre actually achieve. Parts of the film are hopelessly depressing while others are genuinely hilarious- and some scenes manage to be both at once.
It’s also a welcome intellectual film after a summer that was mostly devoid of intelligent thought. Though they were excellent fun, “Iron Man” and “Step Brothers” didn’t exactly get those gears in your head turning. Watching “Choke” is like having a very simple homecooked meal. It may not be as satisfying as Thanksgiving dinner, but it sure feels good when you’ve been eating nothing but fast food all summer.
“Choke’s” essential message is that anyone, even a sex-addict who fakes his death to get money, is redeemable. The labels of a “good person” or a “bad person” are determined by society. “Choke” suggests we should evaluate ourselves based on our actions and our relationships.
It’s no “Fight Club,” but who can argue with a moral like that?
