2008 Woodie Awards
"What Would Jesus NOT Do?"
Finally Another Palahniuk Adaptation Is Brought to Life
C.W. Tompkins
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The cult success of Fight Club seems as though it would induce the Hollywood film community to raid the library of Chuck Palahniuk's other manuscripts. However, it has taken almost ten years for this to happen and Hollywood wasn't to be the benefactor of his next Pulp piece applied to celluloid. Choke was adapted by Clark Gregg, a bit actor that you might recognize from Law and Order or Iron Man (he usually plays a cop or Lawyer but is mostly a faceless piece of dialogue).
Gregg's writing and directorial debut premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and took home the Special Jury Award. It recently released limitedly in the U.S. this past Friday. Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) stars as Victor Mancini, a thoroughly amoral sex-addict who is an "historical interpreter" by day and a con-artist by night. Our hero has the penchant for choking in restaurants (hence the name of the movie) and getting wealthy patron's to assist him and subsequently feel responsible for his wellbeing. He exploits this pity to get them to send money that he uses to pay for his demented mother's hospital bills.
Rockwell has a great ability to play the worst possible person, and he does an excellent job in this film. My beef with Fight Club was that Edward Norton was too damn likable for the part (I mean who doesn't love that man) but Rockwell makes us believe that it is possible for a person to have an exceptionally tweaked and distorted view on life. At the same time though, he is able to jockey for our love without knowing it. At points his inability to be the bastard he wants to be is heartwarming and exemplary of how overwhelming conscience can be, even for the scoundrel.
Victor is accompanied by his best friend, Denny (Brad William Henke), a big oafish teddy bear who has a problem with chronic masturbation. Denny, despite his handicaps, often plays the voice of reason and attempts to center Victor. He is for the most part always willing to help his best friend. The dichotomy between the two and the intense chauvinism exhibited by Victor sets this film up as very much a piece directed at the male demographic. But it does develop into more than just an Animal House-esque romp. It also sex-plores some of the manic and base things women are capable of.
Gregg's writing and directorial debut premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and took home the Special Jury Award. It recently released limitedly in the U.S. this past Friday. Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) stars as Victor Mancini, a thoroughly amoral sex-addict who is an "historical interpreter" by day and a con-artist by night. Our hero has the penchant for choking in restaurants (hence the name of the movie) and getting wealthy patron's to assist him and subsequently feel responsible for his wellbeing. He exploits this pity to get them to send money that he uses to pay for his demented mother's hospital bills.
Rockwell has a great ability to play the worst possible person, and he does an excellent job in this film. My beef with Fight Club was that Edward Norton was too damn likable for the part (I mean who doesn't love that man) but Rockwell makes us believe that it is possible for a person to have an exceptionally tweaked and distorted view on life. At the same time though, he is able to jockey for our love without knowing it. At points his inability to be the bastard he wants to be is heartwarming and exemplary of how overwhelming conscience can be, even for the scoundrel.
Victor is accompanied by his best friend, Denny (Brad William Henke), a big oafish teddy bear who has a problem with chronic masturbation. Denny, despite his handicaps, often plays the voice of reason and attempts to center Victor. He is for the most part always willing to help his best friend. The dichotomy between the two and the intense chauvinism exhibited by Victor sets this film up as very much a piece directed at the male demographic. But it does develop into more than just an Animal House-esque romp. It also sex-plores some of the manic and base things women are capable of.
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