Election (Tartan/DTS/2005/Hong Kong)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B     Extras: C     Film: C+

 

 

People just love Johnnie To and he is a good filmmaker, but his greatness is in question when it comes to the gangster genre he is so known for.  Though he has his moments, it does not make him Martin Scorsese, David Chase or even Michael Cimino.  Having seen some of his previous works, I have been only moderately impressed and Election (2005) continued this impression.

 

Again, we get another tale of a Triad (the oldest one around this time) in its struggle to hold onto power.  The title ironically refers to a change in leadership that goes awry when a symbol of power called the Dragon’s Head Baton goes missing.  To is confuses to its importance, though for the film to work best, it should have been the “Dragon’s Head MacGuffin” and the resulting imbalance makes this drag more often than it should, along with more predictability from the Yai Nai Hoi/Yip Tin Shing should offer.

 

The result is that suspension of disbelief is a problem, which is much more of an issue for this genre than most others. The cast is good and they can act, but even at 97 minutes, this seems longer than it should be and time is wasted on the wrong parts of the story told.  To may be a giant of film in Hong Kong, but for now, he is a smaller fish in the ocean of Gangster Cinema no matter how good he can be.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image can be colorful, but has detail and some depth issues that hold it back from greatness and Director of Photography Cheng Siu Keung, H.K.S.C., knows how to deliver composition.  The DTS 5.1 and lesser Dolby Digital 5.1 just manage to be as good as you would expect, though there are some minor flaws in the sound that almost foil it.  Extras include original theatrical trailer, interview with To, behind the scenes featurette and cast interviews.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo