Triad Election (Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai) (2007)
89%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 14 nominations
Triad Election is a film that is not for the faint of heart, but for those who appreciate the art of violence and political intrigue. Director To’s talent for realism and complex systems is on full display, and the violence is both horrifying and psychological. The film tackles big ideas like tradition and destiny, while also slyly suggesting that the Triad has evolved into a giant corporation. While lacking in narrative drive, To is still the master of style, and the film rewards those who are willing to do the work with a tragic and thought-provoking experience. In short, Triad Election is the Hong Kong gangster film that sets the new genre standard.
Triad Election is a movie that will make you feel like you’re in the middle of a political thriller. The violence is intense and comes out of nowhere, which makes it all the more shocking. Director To’s style is unique and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The movie tackles big ideas like tradition and destiny, but also has a sly sense of humor that will make you laugh out loud. If you’re a fan of the genre, this movie is a must-see. Just be prepared for some over-the-top violent flourishes that will burrow under your skin.
Production Company(ies)
Lost Boys of Sudan National Geographic Films, Silver Nitrate Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Mandarin, Cantonese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jun 9, 2009
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
Keyword(s)
Triad Election, drama, crime, mystery & thriller, Chinese language, directed by Johnnie To, written by Tin-Shing Yip and Nai-Hoi Yau, starring Simon Yam as Lok, Louis Koo as Jimmy, Nick Cheung as Jet, Siu-Fai Cheung as Mr So, Suet Lam as Big Head, produced by x, reviewed by Justin Bowyer, Ty Burr, Marrit Ingman, Bill Stamets, Robert K Elder, Ben Kenigsberg, Betsy Sherman, Amber Wilkinson, Brian Gibson, Ted Murphy, Mike Russell, Sean Axmaker, box office gross of $54.9K, MPAA rating not mentioned, gangland war, government corruption, crime syndicate, Hong Kong, brutal violence, compelling cinema
Worldwide gross: $1,836,534
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,708,258
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,335
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 295,339
US/Canada gross: $55,758
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $82,224
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,683
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,811
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $15,943
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,586
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Simon Yam – Lok
Nick Cheung – Jet
Siu-Fai Cheung – Mr. So
Suet Lam – Big Head
Johnnie To – Director
Director(s)
Johnnie To
Writer(s)
Tin-Shing Yip, Nai-Hoi Yau
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 14 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (2)
The exposition is perfectly balanced with bloody action and muscular set-pieces.
October 26, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Justin Bowyer
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The film’s violence erupts in rare, staccato bursts, all the more horrifying for coming out of nowhere.
August 24, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
If it is too stylistically modest to win converts among the multiplex crowd, the film surely rewards followers of the genre.
August 11, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
If Machiavelli’s The Prince and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War translate to other centuries and cultures, so might Election and Triad Election.
July 13, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Bill Stamets
Chicago Sun-Times
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.
July 12, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Robert K. Elder
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The movieâ(TM)s most powerful component is political.
July 12, 2007 | Rating: 3/6
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Director To doesn’t sacrifice substance to style. The over-the-top violent flourishes, more psychological than paint-the-screen-red literal, will burrow under your skin.
April 23, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Betsy Sherman
Boston Phoenix
Whatever he lacks in narrative drive, To is still the master of style.
December 7, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film
Drips with a thick, Stygian darkness, but also offers violence that’s too explicit and willfully perverse to be thoughtfully disturbing. . . . a little too overwrought, too operatic after its regal predecessor.
November 19, 2007
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta)
tackles big ideas like the preservation of tradition and the overall reach of destiny, but also slyly suggests that the Triad of the 21st Century has evolved into something like a giant corporation.
July 14, 2007 | Rating: B+
Ted Murphy
Murphy’s Movie Reviews
If you’re willing to do the work, Triad Election pays you in tragedy.
June 15, 2007 | Rating: B
Mike Russell
Oregonian
… exhibit A in the case for the Hong Kong gangster film as the new genre standard.
June 14, 2007 | Rating: A-
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer…
Plot
As election time nears, current Triad chairman Lok (Yam) faces competition from his godsons. At the same time, Jimmy (Koo) looks to increase his business relations with mainland China.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Simon Yam, who plays Lok in Triad Election, is a well-known Hong Kong actor who has appeared in over 200 films.
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