wo shing, one of hong kong's oldest and largest triad societies is on the cusp of holding its biannual election to vote in a new chairman. the two candidates are lok (simon yam) and big d (tony leung ka-fai). lok is a mild mannered, level headed, single father, popular with members of the society, respected and keen to ensure the business of wo shing continues to expand for all the member's benefit. big d is almost like a cartoon character; loud, brash, impulsive and uncouth, he is attempting to buy the election, with the wealth he has generated.

it should come as no surprise that big d, upon losing the vote, doesn't take kindly to the news that lok has been chosen. infighting begins to rear its head and there is talk of all out war. as senior members of the society try to negotiate and seek a resolution, loyalties are tested when it comes to the collection of a ceremonial baton that is traditionally held by the chairman. will lok be able to exert his newly delegated authority before war is declared...

bloody hell, is it really five years since this came out? has it really taken me five years to watch this? yes and yes...

well, i have a policy of trying my best to avoid reading about films that i intend to watch regardless, so i'd pretty much steered clear of any reviews of this. now, having watched it and read some reviews, i'm pretty shocked to find that it is not being universally lauded as something quite amazing.

cat III rated, apparently due to its accurate depiction of triad traditions and practice, the film does little to glorify the lifestyle: a picture is painted which shows respect and adherence to traditions, only when it suits those who are willing to go the extra distance to get what they want. when people get in the way of making money and introduce a threat to the (extremely profitable) status quo which exists, rules go out of the window until things get back on track. honour and righteousness are secondary to business.

still, the film isn't simply an examination of the procedural, with a bit of bickering thrown in for good measure; building a narrative round the personalities of two main characters and how they react to the results of the election, director, johnnie to crafts an intriguing drama, laced with moments of tension and touches of humour, showcasing something which is probably a lot closer to the truth than the usual hong kong triad movie. the differences between the stereotypical, larger than life big d and the reserved lok, who one may never suspect has the temperament to be the head of a triad organisation, make for a fascinating watch, as do the machinations of the lower ranked and seniors of wo shing and the soap opera which unfolds. although, it's hard to fully discuss and explore the intricacies of to's approach, without spoiling the narrative of the film; suffice to say that the end result is well worth watching.

as i have come to expect, milkyway churn out a technically proficient piece of cinema and, stocked with members of to's regular acting troupe; lam suet, maggie sui, nick cheung etc... with simon yam taking the lead, performing admirably as you'd imagine. added to the equation is big tony leung who is perfect for the task of making the unrealistic big d appear as more than just a caricature.

cracking stuff...