If you are easily offended, if the notion of sexual content in a film disturbs you in any way, if the scene of Kevin Spacey in the shower in American Beauty ruined that film for you and still haunts your dreams to this day, then stay as far away from the movie Choke as humanly possible. Seriously. I’m not kidding. File that little factoid away, click the back button on your browser, and continue on with your day as if you never, ever saw this.

Choke is a very adult film with about as much mature thematic content as one can imagine in a film of its type. The kicker is that the sexual content in the film isn’t meant to be arousing in any way whatsoever. In fact, it isn’t. And while it is used for comedic effect, it isn’t done so in a juvenile, raunchy, Frat Pack comedy kind of way either. The film is a comedy about a sex addict who may or may not be the half-clone descendant of Jesus Christ from the genetic material taken from a stolen holy foreskin. Wait, wait, wait. Are those of you easily offended still reading? Get out. Get out of here. There are already images being generated by this paragraph alone that you will not be able to shake all day. Go! Scoot!

Sorry about that.

For those of you who not only aren’t easily offended, but also delight in the deliciously perverse, the wildly satirical and the brilliantly bizarre, look no further than Choke to meet your needs. It is a film that would offend every sensibility you have if it weren’t so busy trying not to be too offensive. For a film about a sex addict there is surprisingly little nudity. And the sexual content mostly involves either driving the story or further defining the character of Victor (played incredibly by the still-not-a-household-name-despite-his-continued-brilliance, Sam Rockwell). Unlike the film most akin to it, Todd Solondz’s Happiness, Choke doesn’t revel in its obscenity. It never feels the need to show the audience what they already get.

It is a film entirely about dysfunction, but it never feels the need to make you feel uncomfortable to get that across. That is…if you’re not easily offended. (AHA! I caught a few of you still lingering about. Scamper! Off with you!) The reason I brought up that scene from American Beauty earlier is that a vast majority of what will be deemed offensive in this film are scenes evocative of that one. True to life, honest moments chronicling the things we do not discuss in polite company are displayed in an overly casual, over-the-top manner that is at times sidesplitting. Really, truly funny. And all the while, much like Fight Club (also adapted from the work of writer Chuck Palahniuk), it is a feel good satire talking about very dark things, but in a very positive, upbeat way.

It all proves to be a very strange effort from a number of twisted minds for god knows how small of an audience. This movie plays towards the already-deranged, dirty-joke loving hipster film fest crowd –- you know, people like me -– but this thing is going to offend the living hell out of Middle America. I dread the day my parents accidentally rent this and call me asking to explain it, as if it were in some way made by my friends. They always call like that and they make sure to ask pointedly: “You didn’t like that movie, did you?” Yeah, Ma, I did. But the movie is not my fault. I don’t even know them.

If you read the book or have a notion to see a film adapted from the genius behind Fight Club, this should prove to be an entertaining, original comedy. Otherwise, if anything I’ve said seems somehow offensive – trust me when I say that this is only the beginning, and heed caution.

Grade: B+

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C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me