Review of Election 2 (2006) by Robyn N — 04 Apr 2013

Influenced by "The Godfather" and nearly as good...

"Triad Election" is the much improved sequel to Johnnie To's 2005 film "Election." It is one of the best gangster films of the millennium and is one of the best foreign films that I have ever seen; it firmly belongs among the ranks of "The Godfather", "Goodfellas", and "The Departed".

The sequel takes place two years after the original. The Triads of the Wo Sing Society of Hong Kong are holding elections for a new chairman as they do every two years. Lok, the protagonist from the first film, is the presiding chairman who is about to be ousted from power. In the original, we've learned that Lok, was at one time, a fair and just man, but power corrupted his very core. His son watched him murder a rival in cold blood and their relationship has taken a turn for the worst. Lok, in defiance of Triad tradition, wants to serve as chairman for a lifetime. He sees no worthy successor and won't give up up his power because he likes it too much.

Jimmy, Lok's loyal, fair minded, and just business partner (also from the original) is among the leading candidates. Jimmy is also the king of Hong Kong's pirated porn industry and has made the Wo Sing Society very rich. He is a good man at heart and is very smart; his character is heavily inspired by Michael Corleone, Al Pacino's character in "The Godfather Trilogy". Jimmy is a reluctant nominee and only decides he wants the position after finding that he cannot do business outside of Hong Kong without the proper credentials. He goes about a journey that will change the essence of who he is and what he's capable of.

In "Election" we followed the similar story of two rivals, gunning for that very same position. The problem with "Election" was that we were constantly being teased about a big war between the two that never came into fruition. The film was about tradition and why even the gangsters have to adhere to them. Ultimately, the film felt like a grenade that never went off. In "Triad Election," however, we get to watch the full scope of the war between Lok and Jimmy, and it is a spectacle only rivaled by the best gangster films.

"Triad Election" is director Johnnie To's best film to date and I believe it is one the rare films that are flawless. The script is dark, smart, challenging, and engaging. The performances are all top class. The action is bloody, but exciting and fresh. To's direction and cinematography has never been more focused or beautiful. It so closely follows in "The Godfather's" footsteps (often times shot for shot in scenes involving a brooding Jimmy) that your comparing scenes in your head, remembering why you loved that film so much in the first place. "Goodfellas" was technically "The Godfather" without the heavy melodrama, and this film is somewhere in-between those two--perhaps not in quality, but in style and mood.

"Triad Election" is the second of To's films that have crept into my Top 100 Best Films list (the other being "Vengeance") and I believe it is a better, more focused effort than "The Departed" which also came out that same year. In fact, this is the second best film of 2006, behind an unforgettable Swedish film (in my top 30) named "Evil" (Ondskan).

"Triad Election" and many of To's other brilliant works (most of which I have reviewed) are streaming on Netflix.

Grade: A+.