IN: Review: It might be a little erroneous to open a review by describing a film in terms of other films, but I think it's the best way to give an approximation of the place Election occupies in the gangster genre arena. It works somewhere in between The Godfather and Kinji Fukasaku's yakuza opus The Yakuza Papers (AKA Battles Without Honour and Humanity), in that it is simultaneously both romanticized and realistic, dark and gritty. But it's also a Johnnie To film, and as such it carries the distinct touch of the Hong Kong auteur.

Every two years the HK Triad elects a new boss. Only this time one of the candidates is not overly happy with the result so he decides to take matters into his own hands much to the dismay of the rest of the Triads and the police. That's the story in a nutshell but rest assured it has a lot more going for it than that. As in The Yakuza Papers, there's a great deal of scheming, back-stabbing and forming and switching of allegiances (sometimes all it takes is a phone call - in one of the most memorable scenes I've seen in recent time) which might not necessarily make for deep drama but makes for an interesting plot and good character conflict. Fans of the gangster genre are likely to appreciate it in that aspect. Election is not as action-oriented as one might expect; although it IS violent. And I'm not talking about the glossy, glamour version of Hollywood violence. This is dark and grim. To's camera lingers in the scenes of people being brutalized in ways that reveal both the humanity and inhumanity of the perpetrators and victims; after all violence IS an integral part of us whether we like it or not.

If you're familiar with To's style, then you should know what to expect. The pacing is relatively slow and deliberate. The cinematography is great, slick and dark in equal measures, utilizing dark hues (brown, dark green and orange) while the smooth tracking shots add a vibrant quality to it. In the end, Election occupies a peculiar place. It's not exactly a character study and it's not an action-oriented gangster film. It explores a situation (the election and its aftermath), but does so in style, and is both realistic and romanticized (the Triad ceremonies in particular echo of an oriental Godfather).
What is this review like?
OUT: positive

IN: Review: A featherweight plot and dubious characterizations don't make any difference when a movie is as fun to watch as this one is. Lively action and spectacular stunts - for their day - give this movie some real zip. And there's some actual comedy from the ripping chemistry between the two leads. Quinn makes a good villain also, although his role is completely overshadowed.

But don't be fooled by Maureen O'Hara's tough broad role, this is as sexist as any Hollywood movie of this era. You might be able to forgive that because of the time in which it was made, but it's still hard to get past. For all the heroism and gruesomely adult off-screen situations, this is still little more than an adolescent good time.
What is this review like?
OUT: positive

IN: Review: Spinal Tap was funny because if you knew a little about heavy metal, you saw in-jokes all over the place. If you know anything about porn, this mock documentary will leave you cold. Everything in it rings false.

Spinal Tap was funny because it took a familiar world and pushed it over the top. This film is decidedly not funny because it paints a picture of how porn is made that bears no relationship to the real world.

The acting here is uniformly awful, but that would not matter much if the core idea of the movie were good. But it's not.
What is this review like?
OUT: negative

IN: Review: Barbara Streisand directs and stars in this very Jewish story.

To have a chance at obtaining an education, Babs enthusiastically disguises herself as a boy which isn't the most difficult thing to do since she already looks like a boy, anyway. At her new school she meets many male classmates who have no trouble at all in believing she's a guy.

Don't miss the best of many moments of unintentional humor when Babs' male friend thinks she's a man, but pins 'him' to the ground, sits on top of 'him', and looks affectionately into 'his' eyes.... *snicker*.

Mediocre film; splashy story about nothing particularly interesting.
What is this review like?
OUT:
negative