Based on the novel by the notoriously talented Chuck Palahniuk, about a man addicted to sex, who also scams would-be heroes into paying for his mother’s health care.
Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) is a hopeless sex addict, who works at a colonial town where he has to dress up in costume and teach the visitors about colonial life. His enthusiasm for this job reflects the poor pay, which forces Victor to find other methods in order to pay for the expensive nursing home where his mother is being housed. Ingeniously, Victor establishes a ruse to make some extra cash.
He visits restaurants, and then chokes on the food. Whilst he is stumbling around pretending to look for someone to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre, he is also looking for the richest looking patron. Once this unknowing member of the public “saves” Victor’s life, they then feel protective over him, sending him birthday cards (hopefully with cash in), and will try to help Victor out if ever they can.
Alongside Victor’s moneymaking, he is also a tragic sex addict: sleeping with a variety of strangers, in a multitude of locations, even attending sex addiction counselling meetings in order to hook up. His relationship with women stems from an extremely unhealthy relationship with his mother earlier in life, which becomes the central theme of the story.
It is a startling film, delving deep into the perverted mind of a sex addict, whilst finding a lot of comedy in his philosophies and his desperation. His seedy world is only broken up by a couple of characters: his best friend (who is also a sex addict) and a nurse who looks after his mother.
A great, demanding performance from Rockwell, with a wickedly sharp script. A funny, tragic film.
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