:::::Celluloid::::: - CHOKE

With the success of 1998's Fight Club, the latest adaptation of a Chuck Phaliniuk novel to the big screen has a lot to live up to. However, rather than try and cater solely to the expectations of Fight Club's fans, first time director Clark Greg took Choke in a different direction. The film plays up the story's humor more than Fight Club, but while less dark is still effective on another level.
Choke is the story of sex addicted Victor Mancini, played by Sam Rockwell. Victor spends his days working at a colonial theme park as an Irish indentured servant alongside his best friend Denny played by Brad William Henke. Both Denny and Victor attend sex-aholic group classes to discuss their problems. The film highlights that the people attending these classes aren't limited to people with seemingly deep psychological problems but can be the people you see everyday.
Victor's mother Ida Mancini, played by Anjelica Hutston, is confined to a pricey women's mental health facility. The inhabitants are primarily elderly women who suffer delusions and harass Victor every time he visits his mother, accusing him of molesting them, breaking their hearts, and ultimately convinced of something more ridiculous.
Recently I had an interview with Rockwell about working on Choke.

WS- Were you a fan of Chuck Phaliniuk's books before reading the script for this film?

SR- I wasn't. I loved Fight Club. I read the script to Choke and then I read the book. Choke is the only one I've read but chuck's an amazing writer. He's very descriptive. it helps as an actor. He's also a very smart guy and just really cool. The fans were really pressuring but he was very hands off and just let us make the film.

WS- The subject of sex addiction isn't really a topic that people talk about or one that most people would take seriously. Michael Douglas was reportedly admitted to rehab for it once before and just as of recent so was David Duchovny. I know that you attended some sex addiction classes to witness what it was like first hand. Did you gain a new perspective from doing this?

SR- All I had to say was my name is Sam and I'm a sex addict. My name's Sam and I'm questioning things. Something very ambiguous like that. I didn't want to get too personal. They go there to be heard and talk about their problems and it's a personal place. It's very intense. Sex addiction is a pretty serious disorder. I think anything anything compulsive can turn into an addiction.

WS- On a little more of a humorous note, did you spend any time researching neo-colonial theme parks?

SR- I didn't have the time to do it and I really wanted to do that. we saw some pictures of those people and they all looked like hippies. The stuff in the book is so good. The sex addiction was required research though.

WS- The choking at restaurants in the film plays a back drop to the sex addiction but I think its equally interesting. Its purpose is sort of a reflection to the random detached sex. With the choking, there is an intention to scheme money from rich people who seek to feel better about themselves through saving the life of another. But there's also the point Victor makes about the moment of embrace by a stranger that's a really intimate exchange. In this very dysfunctional way, Victor is a balanced person.

SR- It's all about gaining intimacy and the sex addiction. Its all about intimacy. He has the same goal with both things.

WS- With it being Clark Greg's first film, did things go relatively smoothly or no?

SR- He's been an actor for a long time so he has that experience. Sometimes with first time directors there's a way to talk to them about things they might not know about but because Clark's an actor, I think he knew things that many first time directors might not know.

WS- Anjelica Huston does an amazing job as Victor's mother, Ida Mancini. She really carries the delusional mother role well. Did you spend a lot of time with her to get a good personal dynamic for the movie?

SR- Anjelica Huston has such a fresh point of view. She's not jaded at all. She seems like a student but she's a veteran. She seems like she's always learning and she's younger than her years in that way.

WS- How did you find yourself in this role?

SR- I came on late. I was probably on a long list of actors he'd probably gone to before me. It's a particular kind of part. I could see Robert Downey Jr. playing the role. It's a certain tone of character.