Triad Election

Looking for a tip on how to win friends and influence people? Try killing one of your rival's foot soldiers and feeding his remains to attack dogs while his colleagues watch. That nauseating scene plays out in Johnnie To's Triad Election—a sequel to Election, the 2005 film about power shifts in a Hong Kong organized crime family named Wo Shing. The new film concerns another significant change in the outfit as the current chairman's two-year reign is coming to an end, and the upcoming election sparks bloodshed between Jimmy (Louis Koo) and Kun (Lam Ka Tung), two godsons of the boss (Simon Yam), while the godfather himself is taking desperate steps to remain in charge—leading to an ugly three-way competition. But Triad Election's real focus is on Jimmy, who is not only a police informant trying to get out of the family profession, but also wants to build a legitimate business empire. Authorities assure Jimmy of the government's full cooperation in helping him meet his long-range goals, but in return they want him to lead Wo Shing, ensuring peaceful coexistence with officials. Koo makes for a handsome and laconic antihero whose capacity for violence is particularly horrifying, especially since Jimmy is an educated fellow with a loving wife. Like the late John Frankenheimer, director To infuses his drama with gripping action and superb composition to compelling effect. But the script by Yau Nai Hoi and Yip Tin Shing is often mired in talky exchanges, and much of the brutality is obligatory. Still, this is a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include interviews with costars Lam Suet (17 min.) and Lam Ka Tung (14 min.), a seven-minute “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for an uneven thriller.] (T. Keogh)