Actually, that title was a lie. I really really want to review Choke because it’s so damn interesting, and even though I really did like W., there’s really almost nothing I can add to the already-present conversation about it, so just read this review that I agree with completely, then come back here for my own extra two cents. I’ll wait.
Okay.
First off, the performance of Thandie Newton as Condi is the only real weak spot as far as acting goes. It realizes the fears that every movie fan had of the whole movie in that it delves into caricature and becomes largely unwatchable. And, as Harry Knowles of the very same Aint-it-Cool-News to which I linked you pointed out, that’s kind of how she already is, which means that those who like Condi may not mind Newton’s performance. But I don’t buy that 100%. Also, SPOILER the final dream confrontation between the two Bush presidents is really cool on the W. side of things (that should go without saying, since Josh Brolin rocks every scene), but I think Cromwell as H.W. in the scene plays it a bit too smugly and makes it a comedic scene when it really shouldn’t be. END SPOILER And I think everyone should see this movie if they like politics even one little bit. It’s a really self-affirming movie for those of us who do.
Okay, now let’s get to the real meat. Choke is a book by Chuck Palahniuk of Fight Club fame, and from what I’ve heard by Chuck fans, it’s not one of his best. Still, there seems to be something about his works that makes adapters drool. David Fincher did an unbelievable job with Fight Club, of course: I don’t think there’s ever been a movie that’s had the clichéd “incendiary” title slapped on it as much as that one, and it deserved it all to boot. But those who are expecting Choke to be for sex what Fight Club is for terrorism are in for a rude shock. It’s really a character study of Victor Mancini, played by the awesome Sam Rockwell.
Hi, his name is Victor, and he’s a recovering (kind of) sex addict. He takes absolute joy in being a degenerate who flouts the rules of the pre-American Revolution historical site at which he works as a reenactor/peasant and makes extra cash by choking at restaurants and asking the people who save him for money by mail. This is his life – being a half-assed colonial American, choking for money, and having lots of meaningless sex with random people. Oh, and visiting his mother who has severe early-onset Alzheimer’s so bad that she doesn’t even know who he is.
Victor’s a complicated guy, which is made harder by the fact that he’s a total asshole, and revels in it. The ongoing conflict for the viewer is whether or not to root for Victor. His undying attachment to her is totally selfless at first glance – she thinks that her son never visits and turns the whole hospital against him, despite his devotion – it turns out that his repeated death wishes on her aren’t just latent resentment; he actually wants her to die, just only after she discloses his father’s identity. And that search takes such a ludicrous twist that I won’t even go into it at all.
The other thing that happens at the upscale hospital where Victor’s mother (played incredibly by Anjelica Huston) is staying is that Victor meets Paige Mitchell, a new doctor taking care of his mother. Where their relationship goes is purely fascinating to me, but other people I talked to were not as impressed.
This movie was adapted and directed by Clark Gregg, who also plays Victor’s boss (and kick-starter of most of the funniest scenes in the movie) and played Agent Coulson of SHIELD in Iron Man over the summer, for those who want a better mental image. I really like the direction – the flashbacks are all necessary and don’t feel cheap, which lots of flashbacks do when they’re pulled off wrong. I’m pretty sure this is Gregg’s first effort in both writing and directing, so kudos for him and I hope to see more work.
I think the strength of the screenplay is that all of the major characters are dynamic – their personalities, or at least how the audience views them, change over the course of the movie, so that the audience doesn’t feel like they’re a step ahead of the script – in a way much different from Fight Club, I feel compelled to add. While Huston’s turn as the mother is obviously the best supporting job, I think that Denny, Victor’s best friend, played by Brad William Henke (I haven’t heard of him either, but he’s apparently in the upcoming Star Trek movie playing some guy named “Uncle Frank,” which makes me twice as excited for the movie just because there’s an Uncle Frank) is pretty close. He goes from a chronic masturbator with an attitude almost as bad as Victor’s into a genial, peaceful guy that just seems content with who he is and what he does. It doesn’t seem like an earth-shattering transformation while it’s going on, but when I thought about the movie after, it really hit me how much he changed and how much for the better.
Sorry for the delay in posting this – again. It was one of the tabs on my browser, half-written, for days and days. I think I’m going to do another combo review next – a rap roundup, if you will, of some major hip hop releases of the year, like Lil’ Wayne and T.I. and maybe something else. Stay tuned.
I Ate My DVD Collection 