"Choke" is the story of Victor Mancini, an avid sex addict and med school dropout. He balances a degrading job as a performance artist in a ridiculously strict medieval village with conning people into sending him money. All this to pay for his mentally ill and dying mother's hospital bills. How he swindles people is most ingenious: he purposely chokes on food in fancy restaurant in the hopes of being rescued Heimlich-maneuver wise by a doctor or lawyer, who then in turn feels a parental responsibility for his well-being. He then continues to write them about money issues, and they usually 'cough up' some dough. The concept is expanded on in greater length in the book then it is in the movie. Don't try this at home!
I was surprised to find out "Choke" was picked out next for adaptation after the enormously successful "Fight Club" established Fincher and Palahniuk as cult-inducing authors. Having read a significant amount of Palahniuk, "Choke" exemplifies nowhere near his best received work. Still, it's a fun read, flaunting Chuck's lauded black humor and provocative edge. Filled with explicit sex-scenes and claiming "if you picture your mom you can keep from coming forever", the book would faithfully adapted result in an NC-17 film. Instead, first time director Clark Gregg files of the sharp edges (the monkey and chestnuts) and high concept touches (such as Paige Marshall being from the future and the building made of stones) and what we're left with is an adaptation that bares no gifts for the readers of the novel.
The film's not a total loss: Sam Rockwell is very good in the lead role, as he always is, Kelly Macdonald is solid but never finds her character, but the real shining stars are Brad William Henke, playing the protagonist's awkward best friend Denny with a tender longing for love and loyal camaraderie and Anjelica Huston as the Alzheimer-struck and fundamentally insane but caring Ida Mancini.
I was surprised to find out "Choke" was picked out next for adaptation after the enormously successful "Fight Club" established Fincher and Palahniuk as cult-inducing authors. Having read a significant amount of Palahniuk, "Choke" exemplifies nowhere near his best received work. Still, it's a fun read, flaunting Chuck's lauded black humor and provocative edge. Filled with explicit sex-scenes and claiming "if you picture your mom you can keep from coming forever", the book would faithfully adapted result in an NC-17 film. Instead, first time director Clark Gregg files of the sharp edges (the monkey and chestnuts) and high concept touches (such as Paige Marshall being from the future and the building made of stones) and what we're left with is an adaptation that bares no gifts for the readers of the novel.
The film's not a total loss: Sam Rockwell is very good in the lead role, as he always is, Kelly Macdonald is solid but never finds her character, but the real shining stars are Brad William Henke, playing the protagonist's awkward best friend Denny with a tender longing for love and loyal camaraderie and Anjelica Huston as the Alzheimer-struck and fundamentally insane but caring Ida Mancini.