Boring

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Election is a film that makes me want to re-rate all the movies I've watched so far: if I only give a ten to Election, what would be the score of Star Wars A New Hope? 1 star? It is hard to really quantify things, but nonetheless I hope I have made my point clear, that Election is one of the best movies ever made, and I am talking about Citizen Kane great. Now, a lot of films are said to be the greatest because how innovative they are at the time or how old they are. Well I don't care about those pretentious measures. When I am writing a review I am judging from a present viewer's perspective, and I am expecting contemporary people to read my words, not some 30s time-travelers. Therefore, even though historic values cannot be entirely ignored, that is not the major reason for me to watch a film: I do it because I want to learn something from it, have some fun, and entertain myself intellectually. In contrary to Star Wars A New Hope which achieves none of that, Election is the perfect movie by that standard. Simply perfect. I will say no more to avoid spoilers. This is one of those films that by even mentioning some general comments would make me guilty of spoiling, very opposite to when I am writing the review for Star Wars A New Hope and felt that I just wanted to spit out this garbage. I have no problem with this movie. Honestly, I think most people give this a 8/10 because they feel no one else has been giving it the acclaim it is supposed to win. I rate movies however based on things I find to be not right; therefore I only take points off when necessary, since movie-making is hard and being a nitpicking jerk does not always do me any good. Anyways, not a single false note, and I am giving it a 10/10. BTW maybe I am prejudiced since I really like this directing style. I also gave About Schmidt 10/10 just so you know.

whew....finally i've watched a movie where there is not one main character that i wanted to root for, just like this years election. everybodies got an agenda, everybody is out for themselves...except jock chris klein...but i wouldn't root for him either. plenty of laughs in this movie and you will not guess when they're coming...it just sort of comes..the funny scenes and you'll just laugh or giggle. this is a comedy for intelligent adults...not everybody will get it or like this movie although it is a brilliant one. this has to be witherspoons best performance or in the top 3 in her long career. let me just say that her freeze frame expressions are priceless...there's like 4 or 5 of them and miss witherspoon herself will have a hoot looking back at them. very very intelligent and cynical and just down right nasty business...the election that is...even in high school...one can imagine how bad it can get in the real presidential elections.

"Who knew how high she would climb in life? How many people would suffer because of her? I had to stop her, now." This acerbic satire on American society and presidential politics viewed through the prism of a high-school election is an outstanding piece of work worthy of greater acclaim than it received in the box office. The director, Alexander Payne, has produced a humorous critique of the pursuit of naked ambition, and the general apathy of the electorate towards the democratic process. Rees Witherspoon gives an immaculate performance, mature beyond her years, of the zealous status-seeker, Tracey Flick. Fueled by her single mother's determination to have her succeed, Tracey's relentless and ruthless pursuit of the position of student president is unopposed until the intervention of Carver High's three times winner of 'Teacher of the Year', Jim McAllister. In his most noteworthy performance, Matthew Broderick shines as the civics teacher, charged with overseeing the school election process, whose determination to derail Flick's ambitions will have disastrous consequences. Payne and Jim Taylor's adapted screenplay, worthy of an Oscars nomination, provides an excruciating portrayal of the gradual downfall of McAllister in his struggle to balance moral rectitude with his own human frailties. Though believing his actions justified in defense of democratic ideals, McAllister is largely driven by not only his wish to have some retribution for his dismissed teaching colleague and best friend, in his opinion ensnared by Flick into an unethical and immoral relationship, but also his own fear of sharing a similar fate. Moreover, trapped in a loveless marriage and a career without scope to match the successes of his most promising students, Broderick's character is inexorably drawn into an affair with the wife of his dishonoured friend, and best friend to his own wife, which will have its own calamitous effect on both his personal and professional lives. The pitiful manner in which both he and his shamed friend skirt the depths of public indecency in pursuit of self-gratification, while believing that they do so out of love, make any belief that this film is imbued with misogynistic tendencies simply laughable. There are several truly uncomfortable yet 'laugh out loud' moments, such as that where McAllister's disgraced friend attempts to attest to his and Flick's love for each other while engulfed in floods of tears. Another is McAllister's own rushed and graphic preparation for his illicit assignation with the friend of the family. The film is infused with sardonic humour, embellished by the director's skillful use of editing techniques, such as the 'freeze frame' scenes wedded to McAllister's caustic narration of Flick's motivation. Further illustration of this concerns one of this reviewer's favourite scenes, where,post-coitus, McAllister's drab saloon car and suburban landscape is exchanged for a stylish two-seater sports car and Italian scenic strada, and back again, to reflect his new-found, yet flawed sense of male prowess. In addition, the use of multiple narrators allows the viewer to share and be immersed into the misguided views and interpretations of the film's core protagonists. The supporting cast give creditable performances, none more so than Jessica Campbell as the rebellious unconventional sister to the school heartthrob and sports star played by Chris Klein. Brought in after Thora Birch was sacked for creative differences with the director, Campbell received numerous nominations from different critical organisations for the best breakthrough performance of that year. This makes her self-imposed disappearance from our screens just over twelve months later such a loss to the industry. As for Chris Klein, having been discovered by the director while searching suitable school locations to shoot, he shows great potential, despite offering here a sort of pastiche of Keanu Reeves. Klein's naive but lovable school jock serves as McAllister's instrument to deny Flick victory. When this proves fruitless, he reverts to vote-tampering, almost divining the events of the forthcoming US presidential elections after the film's release. The viewer accompanies Broderick's hapless descent into transgressing core aspects of ethical and moral behaviour, half cheering on his crusade against the self-serving and self-righteous Flick, and half offended by McAllister's hypocrisy - the allegorical bee-sting injury serving as a visual marker of McAllister's tainted reputation. The ending serves as the perfect rib-tickling illustration of this character's ongoing struggles to rid Flick from his demons. A cult classic.

There is a layer of earnestness underneath the comic satire that is Election, and it is something that I did not initially pick up on. The stock high school comedy characters all all here; the hyperactive know it all student, the dumb quarterback, the moody depressed teen, the nerds, the creepy teacher. At first I found it hilarious that the teacher's face would be the one crumpled up in tears (and there is a great bit of misdirection with the loopy handwritten love note), but also surprising that the roles had been reversed and the adult had becomes the perceived victim (later we learn that Dave was a frequent bed wetter, even more prominently displaying this theme). But we trust what is supposedly Broderick's character, the good natured history teacher Jim, because his voice-over sounds so soothing, so mature. The slight of hand is gradual. Opposing him we have the bane of every teacher's existence, the enthusiastic Tracy Enid Flick, who busts up and down and on the spot at every question, hand firmly thrust up in the air. As if that was not annoying enough, it's even suggested that Jim blames her for seducing his former best friend, and is anxious that he is her next target, which is visualised by these seductive whispers in his mind, and speaks a lot more of him than her. Another technique that Payne likes to use is the sudden freeze frame, which warps Tracy's facial mannerisms into something ugly and demeaning, no doubt the same process that is churning away in Jim's mind, and dismissed her speech. Reese Witherspoon's performance is perfect - she toes the line between enthusiastic and annoying, but that line itself is warped from Broderick's perspective, and little actions become large annoyances. The screenplay is based on Tom Perrotta's novel, but Payne's vision is so much more appropriate for showing us just how lively these characters are. When Tracy first discovers Paul's campaign for student council, the soundtrack flares up like some Spaghetti Western with Morricone's Navajo Joe, and it is clear just how little she is used to being challenged, and Witherspoon's voice-over and the music both speed up in intensity as her angers grows. The same soundtrack later slows to a grinding halt as Jim proposes the widow Linda, and we like her are incredulous that our good guy image has been shattered. Broderick's stupid little grin is telling; he shoots for the little pleasures, and daydreams incessantly - in a green-screen sequence, he imagines himself driving a luxury Italian car, before the graceful backing track stops as he steps out onto the school parking lot. And on the pivotal election day, the music is once again key, the slow beats of the bass drum providing tension that would not be out of place before a large scale battle in some war film. Tracy seems to think so. We have the naivety of the teenagers pronounced via voice-over, with a complete sincerity that makes it funny but also a bit sad; Tracy insisting that she does not miss a father figure before perfectly describing one in Dave, Tammy musing on how she's not a lesbian even though every single one of her love interests have been female, Paul's various good natured ramblings about others and the gift of his penis...and of course his monotone, face- down speech delivered without an ounce of showmanship that Tracy possesses, but which Jim eagerly applauds anyway. And after it all? He is barely affected by the whole ordeal and has an awesome senior year. An early scene has Jim absent-mindedly tossing the food of his colleagues out of the teacher's fridge, with even less care for where it lands, splattering sauce onto the floor as the janitor shakes his head. Later, the same janitor is part of the visual assault on Jim as the cuts between their dead-straight stares speedily bore into Jim's conscience. Election's triumph is that it almost manages to make us feel a little for him; the breakdown of his marriage, the bee sting, the fury at Tracy's little celebration victory dance. And as he narrates his new life at the close, his happiness at being an educator, the new woman, and the modest yet lovable apartment, we think he is well adjusted, and content, and we are instinctively drawn to movie endings like this one. And he almost manages to fool us with his voice-over, his disappearance of contempt for Tracy Enid Flick. And for what? For tearing down a poster and denying it? For aiming further and higher than Jim will ever experience? His crusade becomes so sad and funny as he flees the scene, but I'm sure in his mind he has won.