Choke, the new film from the Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) novel is just as sardonic and offensive as expected. But, there is a moral center to the film; it’s just difficult to grasp.
Victor (Sam Rockwell) is a sex addict that pays for his mom’s medical bills through a job at a colonial reenactment park. His other source of income is traveling to various restaurants and intentionally asphyxiating himself so that someone may save his life.
The savior then feels responsible for him and sends him sympathy money.
The movie is just as ugly as it sounds. Most of the humor comes from vulgar situations, and the overall tone is certainly mean-spirited. But there is a point to the proceedings, even if the book conveys this much more effectively.
Which brings up the main problem: the length. There is rarely a scene longer than two minutes, and the story seems rushed from the beginning. When a scene is over so quickly, it has little weight because the plot is busy setting up the next scene. The ending happens fast, diminishing and obscuring the message that really is there.
Choke is a worthwhile film, but feels like a light version of the book.
Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars