"Choke," adapted from the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, is a tale of sex, lies and love. The film follows Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell), a sex addict who works at a Colonial-themed park and has trouble making ends meet while he pays for his ailing mother's nursing home care. Director, writer and actor Clark Gregg tells a story full of quirks and dark comedic elements that bring to light a man who is addicted to sex, lies habitually and seeks true love.
Victor's character is dark and menacing. He finds ways to humiliate his fellow employees, including his best friend Denny (Brad William Henke), who attends Sex Addicts Anonymous with him. Even with treatment, Victor struggles with meetings and often ducks out to engage in promiscuous behavior.
One would imagine that being addicted to sex would be enough to render a man sleazy and degenerate, but there is more to Victor's story. He is also a habitual liar who fakes choking in restaurants in order to get strangers' sympathy and a free meal. The movie takes an interesting turn when Victor finds out he is a direct descendent of Jesus, or at least that is what his mother's doctor, Dr. Marshall (Kelly MacDonald), tells him.
MacDonald delivers a surprisingly offbeat performance that is simultaneously heartfelt. She plays an essential role in pointing out the good in Victor, allowing the viewer to see the other side of a man torn by his past and true desire to be loved. Dr. Marshall's character provides Victor with a person to love and someone who cares about his well-being.
Victor's relationship with his mother, Ida (Anjelica Huston), is unstable and distorted because of her dementia. As a result of the disease, she never recognizes him when he visits and insists that he is one of her lawyers. Houston gives one of the weaker performances of her career, yet through flashback scenes there are instances where the strong independent woman Huston usually plays shines through. The central mother-son dynamic is revealed via these flashbacks.
Rockwell's performance is the real treat in this film. He discovers ways to present himself as seedy and manipulating, but is still able to exude a soft comedic persona. Overall, "Choke" successfully conveys the story of a man looking for love, but it's told in a novel way that brings comedic elements to the darker subjects of sex, lies and the occasionally tumultuous bond between a mother and her son.
In a season devoid of must-see movies, "Choke" is definitely worth a trip to the theaters.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
