Victor Mancini, in an effort to pay for his once radical, now demented mother’s expensive care in a private hospital, engages in a brazen scam. While dining in upscale restaurants, he deliberately chokes on his food, allowing himself to be “saved” by good Samaritans who grow so close to him in the wake of their heroic Heimlich Maneuvers, they lavish him with checks. His day job is no more conventional: he portrays an indentured Irish servant in full 18th Century garb at a historical theme park. And when he isn’t busy being a put upon Pilgrim, gagging violently or visiting the mother who doesn’t recognize him, Victor is attending sexaholic recovery meetings (or having forbidden encounters in the meeting hall bathroom). It’s no wonder Victor feels adrift. But when his declining mother hints that she might be ready to spill the secret identity of his long lost father, Victor hopes it can finally provide the answers he has been searching for. With the help of his fellow sex addict Denny, Victor befriends his mother’s alluring young physician, who leads him to believe his origins may be far more shockingly divine that he ever could have imagined. So is Victor Mancini still the no-good loser he has always thought he would be for the rest of his life or could he possibly be some crazy kind of savior.

Review & Summary :

After watching Choke, it occurred to me that the association with Fight Club may do more to harm the viewer’s experience than help. Although I can’t argue with the logic that it will help bring audiences into the theaters if they know that Choke is based on a novel written by the same author, Chuck Palahniuk, fans may come without the realization that Choke is a simpler and often more understated story. This is the very reason actor Clark Gregg was able to make this his directorial debut, using the same socially satirical sense-of-humor as the previous Palahniuk adaptation, but this time on a much smaller scale. Fight Club was an ambitious visual achievement for known perfectionist David Fincher once he had reached a higher level of success with Se7en, whereas Choke provided the opportunity for Gregg to start a career with a promising independent film.

Gregg adapted the story to screenplay and also acts in his film, but wisely gives himself a supporting role. In the leading role of Victor Mancini, a man with many identity issues after a rough childhood being kidnapped by his mother from foster homes, Sam Rockwell fits perfectly. In order to keep his negligent mother (Anjelica Huston) in a top-care facility during her last days battling Alzheimer’s, Victor working days as a historical re-enactor at a Colonial Williamsburg theme park, but when that isn’t enough he finds a brilliant scam where he pretends to choke while eating in public. Not only do the people that rescue him send him money in birthday cards, he also finds himself addicted to the feeling of being saved.

Being comforted and supported by strangers isn’t Victor’s only addiction, attending sex addicts meetings each week if only to sleep with the nymphomaniac he is a sponsor to. Random strangers are Victor’s preference, although he finds himself unable to sleep with a woman he actually begins to care about. When one of his mother’s doctors, Paige Marshall (Kelly Macdonald) tries to exploit Victor’s reputation by insisting he impregnate her before she will translate his mother’s diary from Italian to English, Victor is unable to perform for the first time. Victor believes that the diary will give him the answers to his childhood, but he is unprepared for the shocking truth that is translated to him from the secret diary.

Palahniuk’s novels are nearly all filled with internal dialogue and commentary, which was transferred to film with a unique style and voice that separates it from the film version of Fight Club. Palahniuk has such a rich prose, as well as a gift for matching social and human issues with particularly warped or disillusioned protagonists, and while reading his books I am always struck by how visually lush the stories become in my imagination. As easily as the world is created by Palahniuk’s words I usually tend to find the idea of a film version nearly insurmountable, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to find that Clark Gregg’s Choke brings the story to life in an understated way that allows the story to retain and even enhance some of the more poignant elements.

The cast is pitch perfect and immediately following the film I had the urge to return to the novel to read it again with the actor’s faces in mind, which in my mind is the perfect marriage of mediums. Countless times I have debated whether to read a novel when I know that it is being made into a film certain that seeing the film will be disappointing if I have already read the source material. Although there is something to be said for Palahniuk’s distinct literary voice, even he has declared satisfaction with this latest adaptation.

In New York City’s gritty East Village, a group of bohemians struggle to live and pay their rent. “Measuring their lives in love,” these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.

Review & Summary :

Set in New York City’s gritty East Village, the revolutionary rock opera RENT tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. “Measuring their lives in love,” these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic. RENT is Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

The 36-year-old star had both breasts removed after being diagnosed with cancer in July 2008.

Applegate, who was given the all-clear following the operation, has returned to the set of comedy TV series Samantha Who?.

A spokesman for the star confirms to People.com that Applegate resumed filming on Monday, September 15, and is still slated to present at the Primetime Emmy Awards on September 21, 2008.

Mr. Shi is a retired widower from Beijing. When his daughter Yilan, who lives in the US, divorces, he decides to visit her in the small town where she works as a librarian. His intention is to stay with her until he helps her recover from the trauma. Mr. Shi likes to tell the people he meets in America that he’s a “rocket scientist”, enjoying their attention. But Yilan is less enthusiastic about his showing off, nor is she interested in his plan to rescue her marriage and reconstruct her life. When Mr. Shi insists on finding out the reason for the divorce, Yilan starts to avoid him.

Theatrical Release
9/19/2008

In rural Alabama in the late 1950s, spirited young girl Lewellen struggles to rise above the repression that surrounds her. Lewellen lives with her stern religious zealot grandmother, Grammie, but spends most of her time down the hill with her much-adored Daddy in his falling down shack. Daddy is wild and rough and frequently brings home a beautiful but troubled woman who has a mysterious history with him and comes and goes when his drink and abuse becomes too much for her. But while she’s around, Lewellen’s longing heart reaches for her love. Lewellen is deeply talented and finds comfort and safety, as well as a place to put her hurt and rage, in the music of Elvis Presley. When Elvis Presley comes to town for a concert, Lewellen is desperate to go but has no money for a ticket. Her best friend, Buddy, trying to get her a ticket, arranges for her to do her Elvis impersonation for a local teenager in exchange for tickets to the concert. During the impersonation, the teenager attacks Lewellen and steals her innocence. The attack leaves Lewellen feeling alone and hopeless. It is only the caretaker Charles who can see the spirit in Lewellen and save her soul. He teaches her to use The Blues to turn her tragedy into a gift. Lewellen ultimately finds her true voice, giving her the strength and courage to walk away from her past and into her future.

Theatrical Release
9/19/2008

Director	Credit
Deborah Kampmeier	Director
Cast	Credit
Dakota Fanning	Lewellen
Robin Wright-Penn	Stranger Lady
David Morse	Daddy
Isabelle Fuhrman	Grasshopper
Cody Hanford	Buddy
Piper Laurie	Grammie
Afemo Omilami	Charles
Ryan Pelton	Elvis Presley
Christoph Sanders	Wooden’s Boy
Jill Scott	Big Momma Thornton
Frank Hoyt Taylor	Doctor
Jody Thompson	Preacher
Tom Oppenheim	Mechanic
Sean Wallace	Boy 1
William Yelton	Boy 2
Oliver Clayton-Luce	Boy 3
Grenaldo Frazier	Musician 1 (vocals)
Charlie Lucas	Musician 2 (guitar)
Herman McCloud	Musician 3 (drums)
Charlie Smalls	Musician 4 (bass)
Chandler McIntyre	Buddy’s Mother
Tim Parati	Bartender
Production Credits	Credit
Kelly R Tenney	Co-Producer
Deborah Kampmeier	Producer
John P McAteer	Associate Producer
Robin Wright-Penn	Executive Producer
Richard Bosworth	Associate Producer
Stacey Bakula	Executive Producer
Kathi Scharer	Co-Producer
Raye Dowell	Producer
Terry Leonard	Producer
Kerri Watts	Associate Producer
Henri Kessler	Executive Producer
Gabrielle Berberich	Co-Producer
Scott Franklin	Producer
Chris Hanley	Co-Producer
Rebecca Cleary	Executive Producer
Roberta Hanley	Producer
Jim Czarnecki	Co-Producer
Corey Ribotsky	Executive Producer
Jennifer Gatien	Producer
Sam Froelich	Executive Producer
Lawrence Robins	Producer
Production Companies	Credit
Full Moon Films	Production Company
Hand Picked Films	Production Company
Motion Picture Group	Production Company
Deerjen Productions	Production Company
Distribution Companies	Credit
Empire Film Group	Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Locations
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Writer	Credit
Deborah Kampmeier	Screenplay
Accounting	Credit
Pamela Williamson	Production Accountant
Art Department	Credit
Timothy Grimes	Production Designer
Casting	Credit
Craig Fincannon	Casting Director
Lisa Mae Wells Fincannon	Casting Director
Mary Vernieu	Casting Director
Film Camera	Credit
Stephen Thompson	Photography
Jim Denault	Director of Photography
Edward Lachman	Director of Photography
Music	Credit
Gisburg Smialek	Music
Budd Carr	Music Producer
Nora Felder	Music Producer
Physical Effects	Credit
John Copeman	Stunt Coordinator
Production Management	Credit
Matthew V Campbell	Assistant Director
Kelly R Tenney	Production Manager
Sound	Credit
Michael Rayle	Sound Mixer
Wardrobe Hair Makeup	Credit
Leigh Leverett	Costume Designer
Jo Jo Stephens	Hair Stylist
Victoria Wood	Wig Maker
Joelle Troisi	Makeup - Makeup Department Head
Jason Willis	Special Makeup Effects

Review Summary

A precocious but troubled young girl living in 1950s-era Alabama seeks solace in the music of Elvis Presley in director Deborah Kampmeier’s controversial tale of childhood trauma and musical healing. War of the Worlds star Dakota Fanning takes the lead for a period drama that made its debut at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide