Johnnie To's Election (2005)

I can't believe that it took this long for me to discover Johnnie To. The man has averaged nearly four films a year since 2000. Admittedly, I've only seen a few so far (Fulltime Killer, Breaking News, and the amazing Exiled) but I have to say that I am impressed. Election takes a familiar premise -- gangster infighting, power struggles, corruption -- and executes it near perfectly, with help from an excellent and sprawling cast. It should be noted that this is not another Hard Boiled. If you're looking for double-fisted handguns and slow motion gunfights than go watch The Killer again. No, Election is more like The Godfather or Goodfellas, or even Miller's Crossing. Yes, that's quite a list, but I honestly feel that Johnnie To's Election deserves a place on the short list of the greatest recent gangster films. And while I don't pretend to have seen every good gangster movie in the world, I have seen quite a few and this is one of the best.

What works:

• Simon Yam is excellent, as always, as the cool-headed and calculating Lok and he is just one of the many fine actors who help make the film much more than the sum of its parts.
• When the action does start, it doesn't pull any punches. In fact, there isn't any gun play in this film at all Characters attack each other with all manner of hand held weapons and To doesn't try and glamorize the violence (this isn't Exiled) so when it does happen it seems unexpected and disturbing.
• The cinematography is quite good, as we should all expect from To by now. He frames shots in ways that make the old seem new and the mundane feel exciting.
• Election doesn't hold your hand. If you've seen the beginning of Infernal Affairs than you know what I mean. To doesn't hold the viewer's hand while setting up the history and customs of the Triads. Instead he assumes the viewer is familiar with the genre and launches into the meat of the story immediately. In my opinion, the experience is much richer due to To's willingness to forsake the traditional set-up that opens so many gangster movies these days.
• The ending. See the movie and you'll know what I'm referring to.
  

What doesn't work:

• It could be just me, and I know I lack the necessary knoweldge of Chinese culture, but some of the music seemed a bit melodramatic and out of place for me. A minor quibble.
  
• Honestly, it could have been longer. An hour and forty minutes is pretty a tight timeframe to tell this story, but it's a testament to Johnnie To that the film never suffers for it. I just wish it was longer so I could enjoy even more of it.

Johnnie To's Election is a powerhouse crime picture filled to the brim with excellent acting, unpredictable twists, and even a little machete fighting. 4.5 out of 5 stars.