Election (2005)

Johnnie To's gangster movies are much lauded by the critics, but I'm someone who fails to see what the fuss is all about. This is no exception. I find it a quite serviceable gangster thriller that makes pretty good use of a very old storyline, about two rivals battling for control of a Triad gang. The film looks good, with plenty of stylish camera-work, and the script emphasises realism more than most. But I found this film to be missing an emotional core, so that the action plays out like a comic book, between characters we neither care about nor like very much at all.On the plus side, the acting is strong, dominated by two polar opposite performances. Simon Yam plays an icy, detached and friendly mob boss very well, and Tony Leung is his opposite: borderline psychotic, vicious and ill-mannered. There's plenty of sparks between them. The supporting cast is engaging, with solid turns from To regulars, and a nice cameo from David Chiang as a police chief. But for the most part, while I enjoyed this on a superficial level, I failed to connect with it. Aside from a couple of moments of startling violence at the climax which made me sit up and take notice, this is very much par for the course.

I spotted in the guide to films list for the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where I went when I was in Hollywood, that this film was in screening. Basically there is an election for the new chairman of the Hong Kong Triads Wo Sing Society coming up, so you can imagine how much violence that is going to occur during this. The struggle is between "candidates" Lam Lok (Simon Yam) and Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fai) for control of the oldest and most powerful Triad parts of the society. Also starring Louis Koo as Jimmy Lee, Nick Cheung as Jet, Cheung Siu Fai as Mr. So, Lam Suet as Big Head and Lam Ka Tung as Kun. There are some good realistic corruption themes and moments, just about enough action, apart from maybe when the cops get involved, but a sequel followed, so it's a pretty worthwhile crime drama thriller. Very good!

Johnnie To's ELECTION has some cool music on the opening credits—and a nice opening credits' design too, a kaleidoscope of Chinese characters and those Asian mobsters solemnly taking an oath or uttering some sacred stuff; as a matter of fact the whole flick is nicely scored. I have found about To from Bishop Seraphim Sigrist and was quite eager to see a To movie. The one with which I began, ELECTION, is exciting and interesting, and only moderately violent by nowadays standards—moderately and also essentially violent; the story of an Asian godfather's scheming, it uses a puzzle play of elements, violent facts from the mobsters' lives, the race for the scepter, true details, and as with Coppola we are expected to believe that some of the morally glamorized mobsters are entitled and nice and likable. The performances are reasonably amusing and colorful.ELECTION is well made in the enjoyable, somewhat careless style of the Hong Kong fare; the ending is bitter, true, straight and will scare the kids.

It seems like more consideration has gone into the IMDb reviews of this film than went into the source.Here's a review without pretensions:Just when you think nothing is going to happen, it doesn't.Dress it up any way you like, this is a dull film, full of unengaging characters doing very little of interest.One to put on if you want to convince an impressionable emo chick that you're like, so deep, man.Not something to watch for your own pleasure though.Unless.You're.Pretentious.