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MOVIES / IN CINEMAS / CHOKE
Choke

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Choke (2008)

89%
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100%
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89 %
Reviews Counted: 9 Fresh: 8  Rotten:1 Average Rating: 6.8/10

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 89 mins

Synopsis: Actor-turned-director Clark Gregg shows he is as adept behind the camera as in front of it with Choke, a wickedly colorful dark comedy about mothers and sons, sexual compulsion, and the sordid underbelly of Colonial theme parks. Victor Mancini, a sex-addicted med-school dropout,... Actor-turned-director Clark Gregg shows he is as adept behind the camera as in front of it with Choke, a wickedly colorful dark comedy about mothers and sons, sexual compulsion, and the sordid underbelly of Colonial theme parks. Victor Mancini, a sex-addicted med-school dropout, keeps his increasingly deranged mother, Ida, in an expensive private mental hospital by working days as a historical reenactor. At night he runs a scam where he deliberately chokes in upscale restaurants to form parasitic relationships with the wealthy patrons who "save" him. When, in a rare lucid moment, Ida reveals that she has withheld the shocking truth of his father's identity, Victor must enlist the aid of his best friend, Denny, a recovering chronic masturbator, and his mother's beautiful attending physician, Dr. Paige Marshall, to solve this mystery before the truth of his possibly divine parentage is lost forever. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Choke tickles the funny bone as it dives into darker areas of human behavior. At the heart of the film is yet another staggering performance by Sam Rockwell as Victor. He fully inhabits the character and nails both the comedic and dramatic aspects with indelible timing and delivery. A delicious blend of fresh writing, juicy performances, and sharp directing, Choke is actually quite easy to swallow. --© Sundance Film Festival [More]

Genre: Drama

Starring: Kelly McDonald, Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Clark Gregg, Brad Henke

Director: Clark Gregg
Screenwriter: Clark Gregg

Reviews

 
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1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ratings Image
3/5

Underneath all that seediness is a story that turns out to be rather heartwarming and sweet.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/21/08
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly
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4/5

A light/dark, sick/sincere, weird/warm sex comedy that succeeds because of its constant contradictions, and not despite them.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/02/08
Scott Weinberg
FEARnet
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4/5

Ultimately, Choke is really a film for the Palahniuk fans who've have been waiting years to see this book come to life.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/01/08
Erik Davis
Cinematical
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3/5

a reasonably enjoyable, and very twisted romantic comedy

Full Review | comment Comment
01/30/08
Jay Antani
Jaman
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3.5/4

Certainly there's a nihilist streak on Palahniuk's sleeve, but as Clark Gregg's adaptation of his 2001 novel shows us, up that sleeve seems to rest the heart of a tortured romantic.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/30/08
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com
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N/A

Whimsical tale of a sex addict is good for some laughs but ultimately doesn't rise to the occasion.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/28/08
James Greenberg
Hollywood Reporter
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7.5/10

Might be hard for those not conditioned to the generally cynical tone of Palahniuk's work to get very far, although it's much easier to swallow (no pun intended) due to the winning performances from Rockwell and Huston.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/27/08
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net
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B

One of the few highlights (and acquisitions) of this year's Sundance Fest, Choke is a moderately entertaining black comedy that doesn't fully exploit Palahniuk's absurdist novel about dysfunctional mothers and sons, sexual compulsion and other scams.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/26/08
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
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N/A

Gregg does an admirable job in taking this warped tale onto the big screen.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/22/08
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com
1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Related Forums

Non Critical Reviews are IN
by: bigAO 6/28


REEL_REVIEWER
(2008)-CHOKE goes from Sundance to a theater near you on Sept. 26th (Website's UP)!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/21


REEL_REVIEWER
(2008)-CHOKE goes from Sundance to a theater near you on Sept. 26th (Website's UP)!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/21


REEL_REVIEWER
(2008)-CHOKE goes from Sundance to a theater near you on Sept. 26th (Website's UP)!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/21


REEL_REVIEWER
(2008)-CHOKE goes from Sundance to a theater near you on Sept. 26th (Website's UP)!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/21
all

News

Frozen River, The Wackness Lead 2008 Sundance Winners
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The dust has settled in Park City, and now that the votes have been counted and the hardware's been handed out, we can give...

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• Choke at Rotten Tomatoes
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