28 Oct 2008

Choke

Director: Clark Gregg

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Angelica Huston

Release: 2008-10-28

Weird but funny, Choke stars Sam Rockwell as a sex addict, a conman and a former med student who spends his time pretending to choke on food in restaurants so as to get to know people. He relies on good Samaritans who would rescue him, and then start to care about him and even write him cheques.

Part of his derangement probably comes from his crazy mother (a terrific Angelica Huston) who is about to give him some news about his birth origins. Amid the madness, he falls for her mother's lovely caretaker (Kelly Macdonald) who's full of hope, optimism and answers.

Based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk (The Fight Club), Choke is not a movie for everyone. In fact, you have to have an appreciation of subversive, off-beat humour and toilet gags before you can enjoy this scruffy, scrappy, low-budget comedy.

Almost strictly for fratboys.