Election, the first installment in Johnnie To's two-film Hong Kong gangland serial, is a densely plotted, pulpy procedural.
Comment
04/25/07
Election (2005)
86
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:19
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.8/10
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Reviews for Election
Top CriticUnlike the American crime genre, violence is viewed only as the last resort. In both films, there is a subtle suggestion that the children of the chairmen may pay the highest price for the criminal ascendancy of their fathers.
04/18/07
Top CriticElection feels routine at times, though less formulaic than other genre exercises from Hong Kong. The depiction of crime customs is sociologically detailed.
07/13/07
Some real genius and understated power . . . transcends its genre and turns the venally criminal into the profoundly human.
11/19/07
It's a thrilling premise. What a shame, then, that Election can't get the basics right.
10/28/06
Though some general viewers may feel let down by the relatively scant action, To aficionados should vote for this one.
05/18/05
has more hits than misses
04/26/07
To’s double shot is a landmark work for HK cinema.
10/28/06
The film's main drive involves plotting and scheming rather than outright violence, though -- unlike the sequel -- the basic good guy-bad guy conflict is pretty standard.
01/03/08
It's easy to see why a sequel was quickly cranked out.
09/13/06
Not To's greatest film, but an interesting examination of the inner workings of Hong Kong's triad gangs.
10/30/07
We are plunged into this dispute, but with insufficient time to get to know any of these players, they never fully come to life.
10/28/06
A repellant movie filled with gratuitous violence, Election is bound to find an appreciative audience among those who like their cinematic criminals noisy, stupid and deadly.
05/17/05
May feel a little aloof and dry, not to mention confusing, but there's a solid resonance within the story.
06/06/06
Ultimately, Election and Triad Election -- which benefit from being seen back to back -- play like a mature reevaluation of [Johnnie] To's long-standing talent for splashy, eye-popping violence.
06/08/07
Top Critic[Director To's] talent for documentary-style realism and navigating complex political systems sets him apart, though his nationalism puts him squarely in the mainstream.
07/12/07
Reveals [director] To as a master of lean, close-quarters action.
06/07/07
Dense, demanding concentration, lacking any romantic (but plenty of sordid) violence, extremely involving and rewarding of careful attention.
06/21/07
Top CriticThere is social commentary to be sure, but there are also some solid action thrills.
04/25/07
Top CriticThe film's violence erupts in rare, staccato bursts, all the more horrifying for coming out of nowhere.
08/24/07
Latest News for Election
September 25, 2006:
Toronto Wrapup: Senh, Jen And Tim's Raves And Rants From The Festival
We saw some great movies, some of them big ("Babel") and some tiny ("The Patterns Trilogy"). We saw some interesting failures ("The Banquet") and... More...
September 16, 2006:
TORONTO: "Away From Her," "The Prisoner," "El Cantante," And More Purchased at Fest
Picturehouse led the pack of acquisitions at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, nabbing North American rights to "El Cantante," the biopic of Salsa... More...
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