Election

This being the first review I will explain my rating system which goes like this:

Call a judge and get a restraining order

Skip it

Rent it

Watch it now!!!!

Buy it, download it, or rob it, anything as long as you see this movie.

Let us begin:

Quentin Tarantino called this movie “The best movie of the year” (back in 05) now I have being hearing a lot of great things about Election and once I heard Quentin Tarantino’s remark it made me more eager to watch it. I am a huge fan of his work and I love Asian movies specially their crime dramas and thrillers which tend to be amazing.

First things first. The plot narrates the election process of the new chairman for the Wo Sing family/clan. There are two running candidates they are Big D(Tony Leung Ka Fai) and Lam Lok (Simon Yan) . I haven’t seen other Johnny To movies except Election 1 and 2, so I researched his filmography and from the amount of movies he is in, I can only assume that Simon Yan is his favorite actor. They are to Hong Kong cinema what Depp and Burton are to Hollywood. Both candidates are very different. Big D proves to be the dirtiest and most corrupt as he bribes his way towards the position while Lam Lok is gaining respect by showing constant loyalty to his brothers and uncles. Now, I won’t say who, but the chairman is chosen in the first 30 minutes of the film and it all goes straight to hell when the baton (it’s given to the new chairman) goes missing. A race to find and protect it ensues between Big D and Lam Lok. Funnily enough, the baton’s only purpose is that of a McGuffin. That’s as elaborate as I can get, without spoiling the movie. Now I must warn you, all who are expecting a fast paced action movie be aware that this is not the case. Election has a heightened political tone, and although there are action sequences, they are not the main focus of the film. Nevertheless, its still a very fast paced film.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the movie is its dialogue. Above all, scenes in which the uncles are trying to decide who they should vote for chairman are fascinating. The dialogue is very reminiscent of Goodfellas and The Godfather. Style imitates authentic triad lingo. This is what made the movie more credible, specially its characters and situations. The talent and chemistry from the cast heightens Nai-Hoi Yau and Tin-Shing Yip´s talent.

Now as much as the dialogue is great it all comes down to the delivery from the actors. The performances in the movie are really solid. This amazing combination gives way to a character evolution rarely found in today’s cinema. Simon Yam’s performance as a loyal and secure Triad member trying to get on top clashes’ with Tony Leung Ka Fai’s brutal portrayal of the ruthless Big D. Every actor in this film bring a great amount of realism to their portrayals, a great example would be Wong Tin-Lam’s performance as Uncle Teng one of the eldest members of the Wo Sing Society.

The soundtrack and score contribute to the movie’s engaging atmosphere. The feeling of suspense and impending dread could not have being sustained without the talent of Tayu Lo.

Overall this is a movie anyone looking for a true gangster flick should watch since it brings back the memories of great classics and one can’t help notice the Martin Scorsese elements in the movies narrative. I’m not saying Johnny To ripped of Scorsese, since he made it his own. Now let me say this is a movie anyone should watch not only people who are into the crime genre. I hope you enjoyed my review, and I would like to hear what you thought of the movie.

Final Verdict:

Watch it now!!!!!

Election Trailer: