From One Addict to Another.

"I admire addicts. In a world where everybody is waiting for some blind, random disaster or some sudden disease, the addict has the comfort of knowing what will most likely wait for him down the road. He's taken some control over his ultimate fate, and his addiction keeps the cause of his death from being a total surprise.
In a way, being an addict is very proactive.
A good addiction takes the guesswork out of death. There is such a thing as planning your getaway." - Choke (the novel).

Here are some clear indications that I am an addict. It was 10pm Monday night. I still hadn't started a paper due 2 hours ago. My roommate asked me if I wanted to go see Choke with her. If I went, not only would my paper be very late...but I would be getting about 3 hours of sleep that night attempting to finish it. Needless to say...I went.

Choke is the novel that popped my Palahniuk cherry way back in the day so it holds a special place in my heart. Of course this also meant two very important things:

1. I went into this film with high expectations (never a good thing).
2. I remember very few details from the book (totally found the above quote online) seeing that I read it nearly 7 years ago.
(So it is highly unlikely that any kind of book vs. movie comparisons will be made here since I obviously don't remember the book, but I think it's pretty much a given that the book is better seeing that a. they usually are and b. Chuck Palahniuk is a literary genius.)

For all you non-Palahniuk lovers out there (yes, these people actually exist) who don't know what Choke is about...Sam Rockwell plays the main character, Victor Mancini, a sex addict working as a historical interpreter who pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of people who "save" him when he pretends to choke in restaurants. Underlying all of this is Victor's attempt to connect with his mother, deal with the lack of father figure and understand who exactly he is and what he wants out of life. Actor Clark Gregg makes his directorial debut adapting Chuck Palahniuk's novel to the silver screen.

Although there were very few laugh-out-loud moments, there were definitely times where I found myself chuckling or gasping - mostly from the sheer absurdity of the characters. It's amazing how Palahniuk has a tendency to create incredibly flawed characters that you still want to be your bff. Yet, while Palahniuk's characters tend to fall more on the side of disturbing and extremely messed up, Gregg has adapted this particular slew of misfits to be more on the lovably eccentric side. Less shock value, hence less impact? Perhaps.

This is not to say that the film wasn't worth watching. As far as films go...this one is pretty solid in combining sardonic wit, utter dirtiness and emotional self-discovery. It just wasn't enough to completely satisfy. Perhaps a result of my high expectations, but it could've been funnier, wittier, dirtier and generally more insightful. Gregg could have taken more risks with the characters. Victor's bff is a sex addict who has the tendency to masturbate to well anything and everything, yet still comes (no pun intended) across as sweet and innocent. Even Victor himself, a con-man and sex addict who refuses to reform, is generally sympathetic...the full extent of just how messed up he is is just not adequately depicted. Surprisingly, the titular action on which the film is based isn't really explored too much at all but made for great comedy. (hm...choking is funny...does anyone else find that little bit disturbing?)

The actors, as expected, were incredible. Sam Rockwell is perfect as the incredibly flawed Victor. Angelica Huston gives a hilarious and touching performance as Victor's mother suffering from some form of dementia. Kelly McDonald is... Gosford Park. Clive Owen. Hot british accent. Mmm...wait what were we talking about...? Oh right. McDonald is absolutely precious as the love interest that basically triggers Victor's emotional breakdown.

Overall, I'd give this film a go. Especially if you're a Palahniuk fan. The roomie (a bigger Palahniuk fan than I) first voiced her disappointment but relented that the film got better as it progressed. Also, I know I basically said the film wasn't hardcore enough...but still not recommended for the weak of heart. Or anyone who is generally squeamish talking about sex. Yea, you know who you are.

P.S. Stop comparing this film to Fight Club. Different cast. Different director. Different feel. Different FILM.

P.S.S. I doubt THIS will work since no one actually reads this thing but it's worth a shot. Who knows...maybe Shia LaBeouf will play you in a film 20 years from now.