Choke is a fantastic movie- at least in my opinion. Before I continue, I must preface this review with a disclaimer: this movie is NOT for everybody.  Being a fan of indie films myself, I couldn’t wait to finally catch this film after seeing a teaser trailer this past summer.  Add in one of the worlds most versatile actors in Sam Rockwell, and you certainly have a recipe for success.  Choke, based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel, stars Rockwell as Victor, an absolute low-life human being, who is self-admittedly addicted to sex; doesn’t matter how or where he gets it, Victor lives for one purpose- to hunt for pleasure.  To spice things up, he attends Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings every week where he finds his tramp-of-the-week.  If you aren’t already amused by this fascinating picture, I suggest you hit the back button on your browser.  If not…keep on reading.

Throughout the story, the audience may obviously wonder how Victor came to be what he is.  As more of the story gets revealed, it becomes apparent that his childhood led to his ultimate quest for true satisfaction.  Angelica Huston plays his mother Ida, and if anyone can portray a truly deluded and withholding woman, she sure can.  Other than the flashback sequences illustrating her constant attempts to break the law with a young Victor in toe, Ida is confined in a mental institution where she is slipping further into dementia.  To add even more hilarity to this situation, Ida has convinced Victor and his adorable nurse that he was cloned from tissue taken from a holy relic…this is not a joke!

Since all the woman in this particular hospital have mental ailments of their own, they all fall prey to Victor- they believe that he truly is the “second coming” and that he can do no wrong.  This provides the viewer with an enormous amount of comedy because as you can imagine, Victor is pure slime.  The majority of the film revolves around Victor facing two dilemmas: first, he must uncover the truth behind his “miraculous birth.”  Even more comedic is his quest to help his mother remember who he is.  Trust me- when his sexually addicted friend Denny pretends to be him, its quite intriguing to watch the relationship between them develop.  Can you say awkward for all parties?

There are many things to like about this movie, but many will not find this movie too attractive.  Before I head into the negatives I must mention the silly, yet largely amusing profession that Victor and Denny have mastered.  They work as historical re-enactors at Colonial Dunsboro, an 18-th century theme park where they impersonate Irish indentured servants.  It is always funny to watch people wearing period costumes speak dirty in archaic language- it seriously never gets old. As I said, this is not a perfect film, so I must clearly define its shortcomings.  First, there is a ton of nudity- for those who prefer more tasteful sexual depictions in their films, this is definitely not a safe bet.  Also, most of the material is very crude.  Though amusing if you accept it for what it is, much of the humor in this film is downright disgusting.  Though some of his actions make you want to cringe, Rockwell as Victor is so calm and controlled as this character, that you begin to question if what he’s doing is really that wrong; then you think about it and realize that yes it is.

Though I didn’t find them particularly wrong or misplaced seeing this was adapted from a book, the general public may have those certain things to gripe about.  Overall, if you can accept the film for what it is, you should have no problem looking past these few issues.  The film only had two special features-  a commentary track and an interview between the director and the writer of the book.  This interview was interesting to watch but didn’t much to enhance the overall experience of the disc.  Speaking of director, Clark Gregg, who recently played the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in Iron Man and stars regularly on The New Adventures of Old Christine wrote and directed this film, and I think he did an amazing job.  Taking on a Palahniuk novel is no easy task (previous adaptation was Fight Club), and I tip my cap to Mr. Gregg. 

It’s easy to see why this film never really hit theaters and was just screened publicly for the first time at Sundance.  It is definitely not for everybody, and has a truly independent feel that most of the general public is not accustomed to.  I personally think its humor is never wasted, and it certainly has some stinging one-liners.  I highly recommend the film to anyone who happens to like Sam Rockwell or indie pictures.  Though I stress again, that its NOT for everybody, those who can put their inhibitions aside will truly find enjoyment.  And I didn’t forget to explain the meaning of the films title- that’s one of two surprises I will keep to myself.  If you take my word and watch it for yourself, these subtle additions to the film make it that much more enjoyable.

Film Rating: B plus

Special Features: C