QUEUED UP: Weijun Chen's Please Vote for Me

Following a third-grade election, Please Vote for Me proves democracy is ruthless at all levels.

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QUEUED UP: Weijun Chen's Please Vote for Me

POSTED: Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Movies

Movie critic (and the guy who compiles our weekly repertory film listings) Michael Gold reviews his favorite Netflix Instant flick of the week.

Even though it’s been months since the G.O.P.’s finest hit the campaign trail, Decision 2012 remains anything but decided. As frustrating as the drawn-out political process has been — and remember, the actual election is months away — there’s something undeniably enthralling about the whole show. The circus-like debates and insidious attacks have made democracy look more like an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras than a C-SPAN broadcast.

Good news: it turns out “government by the people” creates chaos at all levels. As the eight-year-olds at the heart of Weijun Chen’s Please Vote for Me demonstrate, manipulation is inherent to democracy. In central China’s most populous city, three third-graders are competing in the school’s first election for class monitor. It’s a small position relative to, say, the scale of Chinese government, but judging by these kids’ ruthless campaign tactics, nobody told them. Prompted by goading from their parents (turns out China’s one-child policy results in immense familial pressure), Xu Xiaofei, Cheng Cheng and Luo Lei stop at nothing to position themselves for success. It doesn’t take long before the candidates’ intense focus moves from adorable to astonishing. Well-worn strategies slowly emerge: incumbent Cheng Cheng shamelessly bribes classmates to get votes, while an aggressive Luo Lei launches an emotional attack on Xu Xiaofei that sends her to tears. The situation becomes predictably uglier as Election Day approaches, culminating in an emotional conclusion all the more chilling for its familiarity.

(michael.gold@citypaper.net) (@migold)

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