Please Vote For Me (2007/First Run Features DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C- Main Program: B-
The
Chinese have not yet tried democracy across the country, but they have begun to
explain it in their schools as 8-year-old school children get to discover what
it is by electing class presidents in the third grade in Weijun Chen’s
entertaining, comical, interesting documentary Please Vote For Me (2007) which has already gained some awards and
for good reason.
Capitalism
has not ended communism in the country, but it seems as if they are ready to
experiment and prepare these children for it, whether it happens at home or
abroad. Lasting about an hour, it
becomes a story about the children, the country, its character and its future,
especially those who get to be among the first to vote for anything in the
land. Capitalism has granted some more
freedoms to the country and that is a start, but whether this and what we see
here will lead to more reforms is another story. However, this is something special in its
small time frame and that is definitely worth a look.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 originates on digital video of some kind and
has its limits and flaws, being shot on location constantly as it was, but is
edited together well and has good pacing.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 is simple stereo at best, again at the mercy of
location circumstances. Extras include
previews for other First Run Features DVDs and trailer for this.
- Nicholas Sheffo
