Please Vote for Me DVD review

The Film:

The campaign season is a long journey in which the candidates visit potential voters and sell them on their ideas. But along the way, people in politics don’t play nice. There will be slander, backstabbing, empty promises, and false intentions, all of it leading to a possible victory for the party involved. For the voters, who do you believe? Campaigning is done so please vote for one…no, I’m not talking about either Obama or McCain, I’m talking about Luo Lei, Cheng Cheng, and Xu Xiaofei, and their position they are seeking votes for? Class monitor.

No, this isn’t a joke. In fact, Please Vote for Me is a fascinating little documentary about democracy, the voting system, and its pitfalls. Running only about 65 minutes, this film wonderfully zips through. Each of the kids is perfectly comfortable with the cameras following them, as the team probably spent time with them prior for some odd weeks. Weijun Chen weaves each three candidates, their lives, their parents, their ambitions into the film effortlessly. By the time the election comes around, we know each candidate inside and out. While the DVD packaging spoils who will win, the film builds the tension, much like CNN or Fox will on Election night.

The film captures a historical first and the reason Chen is filming this kids. For the first time in China, there is a democratic election. The film tackles the question as presented to the kids, “what is democracy?” and we are here to learn to. Each kid has parents of a different caliber, in which builds the kids character make-up. Xiaofei is a sweet, soft-spoken girl, perhaps too emotional for campaigning as she is raised by a loving single mother. Luo Lei, is the hard nose, strictly raised son of a police officer and a mother, who is quite domineering, and Cheng is a rambunctious little boy. Each have their faults and strong suits, the teacher and the filmmakers allow them (without interfering) to exploit each.

That’s where the film gets it power. Luo Lei asks of the potential voters (his classmates) that Xiaofei is weak, she cries too much. Cheng starts a tidal wave of boos during a speech by Luo. If it all sounds silly, it shouldn’t be. This is campaigning and how they sway voters. Of course, each kid is impossibly cute, but this mirrors antics by Obama and McCain and offers up interesting questions for the viewers. I loved it.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: for being shot on DV, everything looks decent although there are some issues, but minor. The audio is decent and front channeled.

Extras: Only a trailer.

Thought-provoking, enduring, cute, everything that an election isn’t, it’s a must-see!

Rating: