Sam Rockwell is a sex addict attempting to discover his father’s whereabouts in the dark comedy, CHOKE. Rockwell is Victor Mancini, a colonial theme park worker who is battling a sex addiction, while his mother is recovering at a long-term care facility for the mentally ill. During his most recent trips to the facility, Victor meets Paige, a doctor who is tending to his mother Ida, played by Angelica Huston. Victor takes a liking to Paige, but doesn’t want her to be another notch on his sexual conquest. Here Victor and his buddy Denny, are punished for not staying in character at work.
CHOKE fashions itself as a dark comedy, mixing explicit sexual encounters, touchy religious turf and graphic language in a tale of self-discovery. The picture is dark alright, but the lack of laughs made it a stretch to be considered a comedy, despite its blatant attempts. In spite of its obnoxious nature, Rockwell’s Victor is surprisingly endearing, no doubt a testament to the actor’s oddly charming ways. Rockwell, seen as a character actor in many mainstream films, has found a knack for playing off-beat individuals with extremely unique personalities. Victor is no different, and is certainly not one-dimensional. Despite his perversions and general contempt for mankind, Victor is an intelligent, crudely witty and often caring individual. Much of the credit should be given to writer-director Clark Gregg. His emphasis on Victor is a wise choice considering the ineptitude of the screenplay. Victor’s sexual addiction is never treated as anything more than a comedic device, and the relationship between he and Paige never amounts to much. CHOKE is an experimental, self-discovery picture that could have used a little less bite, and a lot more substance.
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