It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I don't even know where to begin... The entire movie screams "Art Student final project" - right down to the boom mic making several guest appearances. The entire tone of the book was lost from the opening scene to the credits...The novel itself highlights several key scenes between the protagonist and his "best friend"... There are subtle, yet key scenes that the Director/Screenplay writer completely ignored between the two that culminated into a sincere and ironic ending in the book, yet were suspiciously absent from the film. Clark Gregg refused to focus on the human aspect of almost every single character, instead revealing himself to be the immature 15-year old in a 50-year old man's body that he is: All he focused on was the sex addiction of the protagonist, Victor. All choking scenes were slap-stick in the film, again, the tone of the book completely ignored...The colonial village was an afterthought, yet another tool to portray the sex-addiction and not to relate the friendship between Victor and Denny. Denny consistently ends up in shackles for breaking character, and Victor always approaches him with a handkerchief, simply saying "Dude, blow" so Denny can clear the dripping mucous from his face. Why is this important? The entire climax is built around this one line in the book. After being stoned to near-death, and the anal-bead being dis-lodged from his anus, victor lies in a puddle of his own excrement, presumably left for dead... Until Denny approaches him with a handkerchief and simply holds it to his face and says: "Dude, blow". Showing that at the end of the day, life goes on and your true friends stand by your side no matter how terrible of a person you are.I could go on but anyone who has good reading comprehension can understand why this film completely missed the mark.

Several journalists have claimed that Chuck's writing is purely shock value and bordering on nihilistic ideas. However Chuck has maintained that all his novels have been about Romance. I am sorry to say these are the very people who would blink their eyes to watch Game of Thrones which is nothing but cheap porn, incest, rape and pedophilia. Or the very people who will pick up Murakami and glorify his books because they have hidden meanings in them, which is sad because people refuse to see what is infront of them and are always looking for that hidden meaning, something between the lines and there are frauds who use this to sell anything to make money. In order to understand a writer one must understand who he is. When one reads Hemingway or Hunter S Thompson or Dostoevsky for that matter you are not reading words but you are reading the mind of the author. So in order to understand Chucks writing you have to look at his past which is in itself horrific. However in each and every novel we are presented with a character who is fundamentally flawed but also fundamentally good. You see this in fight club where they accost the Asian clerk at the Parking Lot, you see it here in Choke where in the protagonist is deeply flawed but is humane much like humanity. All his works are similar, they are purely about redemption, isn't this what we are looking for. This isn't nihilism, nihilism is pure contempt for the world, have no values or principles you can do anything because you don't believe in anything. Which is so far away from all the protagonists in any of his books in my opinionThe sad part is this review will probably be ignored, but i believe he is an extremely underrated writer.

Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) is a sex addict trying to recover and failing. He's in a group with Nico (Paz de la Huerta) and best friend Denny (Brad William Henke). He works at a colonial theme park with Denny, arrogant Lord High Charlie (Clark Gregg), and sexy Ursula the milkmaid (Bijou Phillips). He pretends to choke on food to scam his saviors. His grifter mother Ida (Anjelica Huston) is in long term care with Paige Marshall (Kelly Macdonald) as her new doctor. Beth (Gillian Jacobs) is stripper Cherry Daiquiri. Marshall suggests an illegal treatment which requires an unusual donation from Victor.This is based on Chuck Palahniuk's book who also wrote Fight Club. Clark Gregg adapted it and is the director. I really love Rockwell and his weird manic energy. The story is a little weird and takes some strange turns. It does lose me after a couple of turns. It's weird but it doesn't get to be wacky fun. I don't think Clark Gregg has a hold of a compelling consistent tone.

for the love of god if you read the book do not watch this piece of garbage. the film turned a book that make you think and move you with every page to a total disgrace of an art. come on really?! i don't know if the film was based on the book choke by Chuck Palahniuk or some high school drama stuff. i don't know how chuck was willing to let his book to be butchered like this. the flashbacks to the childhood of Victor was awful. Directing and screen writing simply was simply awful as can get, the parts that was different from the book was the real story the Palahniuk wrote. Casting... oh dear casting. why the heck Beth was this beautiful and why Victor was this lame. and the ending was match to the entire film. some lousy make out scene instead of what was in the book. oh dear god i feel so bad for watching this. i have to read the book again to wash this away from my mind! i have to say it again do not watch the movie if you read the book, and if you haven't read the book read it instead of watching this!!!