NW: On the topic of religious holidays: Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. For the Princeton students, is there anything you must atone for?

[Pregnant pause]

JW: Caring too much.

Although the films display a wide range of subject matter, they share a common purpose: to make the spectators’ experience part of the movie itself, “like ruins or outlines where the viewers have to fill in the gap,” as featured Spanish director José Luis Guerín put it.

The main character, Jon, whom the composer named after himself, struggles with an unsuccessful career composing musicals (or did that meta just blow your mind?)

Things I Discovered in Princeton, Episode I

Jo was sitting behind the counter of Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg. Her friend and co-worker Cathey was working the register and telling Jo about her most recent purchase at Strand Bookstore in the Village:
“It’s like an annotated version of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young ...

WICKEDEST CENSORS—CNN
“Hey, can I call you Joe?” she asked. “[Off-mike],” he responded.

1. Lines removed from a play
The answer’s in the desk. Oh, yes! This PROBABLY cures cancer. Meta! THE OL’ ONE-TWO! A dog eats a cell phone and it keeps ringing in its stomach. Oh, no! …eats the whole thing. …as explained by a Chorus. Baby talk. NO! Animal ...

But in Choke, Victor's hapless flounderings through sex and love are more reminiscent of the simple comedy that gets Judd Apatow films good ratings, and perhaps that's some indication that a protagonist's quest for a fulfilling relationship is more than enough of an issue for any film to tackle.