Without doubt one of the most original movies to be released for some time, Choke IS about a guy who fakes choking incidents in a restaurant. But it is NOT about a guy who does it so he can get a free meal. He just wants to bond with other human beings by feeling their arms around him while administering the Heimlich maneuver. Oh, and he does appreciate the money the sympathetic souls send him later – he uses it to pay for his mother’s expensive convalescent home care.

Welcome to the wild and warped world of Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) and his aging mother, Ida (Angelica Huston). The previously mentioned aspects of their lives are just the tip of the iceberg. Victor is also a sex addict, works as an indentured servant in a colonial theme park, and finds reason to believe he is a direct descendant of Jesus—and that still doesn’t cover all the subplots.  There are almost too many to follow in this amusingly twisted flick. But instead of confusing, the creative diversions serve to rivet interest.—blink and you’ll miss something.

Interestingly enough, Choke is based on a book by Chuck Palahniuk, who also wrote Fight Club, so you know you’re in for something creative and unique. He worked on the screenplay with Clark Gregg, who also directed the film and stars in it. You probably don’t remember that Clark Gregg also wrote the screenplay for What Lies Beneath. But you will remember him as the milquetoast ex-husband in the TV series The New Adventures of Old Christine. Talk about multi-talented. This was a helluva project for him to tackle on his directorial debut, but he certainly has done the material justice. This is not a film for the conservative among us, but for those who appreciate kinks and twists, it’s right up your alley. Rated R Lisa Johnson Mandell