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“Choke” doesn’t live up to Chuck Palahniuk’s previous movie adaptations like “Fight Club.”

Adapted from a novel by Chuck Palahniuk, that talented author behind “Fight Club,” and anchored by a cast including Anjelica Huston and Sam Rockwell, the new release “Choke” seems nothing less than a sure bet. Yet a loosely wound, tedious pace and jumbled plotline manage to take all the bite out of this decidedly dark tale, leaving audiences with a few chuckles and an overall feeling of emptiness.

“Choke” follows the twisted life of Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell), a sex-addict and con-man who pays for his demented mother’s hospital bills by scamming money out of the people who save him when he pretends to choke in restaurants. With a setup like this, the action and self-conscious laughter should be non-stop. In actuality, the plot is quite slow moving.

The film is dialogue intensive with brief, intense flashes of graphic sex scenes interwoven. Certainly not a film for children, “Choke” never quite builds enough momentum to carry an adult audience through to the closing credits.
The majority of the characters are one dimensional. Dimensionality is forced upon Victor and Ida Mancini (Anjelica Huston), with varying degrees of success. Huston is able to bring Victor’s delusional mother, Ida, to life with a moving performance that evokes both pity and frustration. Rockwell is not quite so adept when it comes to Victor. Victor is so warped and perverted that any attempt at redeeming his character rings false; a last minute salvation plot tacked on to give the illusion of depth without ever really accomplishing that goal.

The remaining plot and many of the characters are completely forgettable. For the dark, unwholesome subject matter that “Choke” tackles, the movie’s filming fails to relate, seeming more low-budget indy film than twistedly humorous morality play.

I had hoped that “Choke” would live up to its filmic predecessor, “Fight Club,” but this is not the case. If you are morbidly curious and decide to give “Choke” a try, wait for it to be released on video.