Pusan

Break Away

 (Drama -- (SOUTH KOREA))

By DEREK ELLEY

A Generation Blue Films production, in association with KTB. (International sales: Finecut, Seoul.) Produced by Jo Yun-jin. Executive producers, Kim Jo Gwang-su, Lee Seon-mi. Directed, written by Lee Song Hee-il.
 
With: Lee Yeong-hun, So Yu-jin, Jin I-han.
 

Three young South Korean military deserters are hunted down by both army and police in "Break Away," a classy little drama-cum-genre exercise made with minimal resources. Writer-director Lee Song Hee-il, known for "No Regret" (the first gay feature by an openly out Korean filmer), wraps an anti-authoritarian message in the main story of his sophomore feature. Fantasy/genre fest programmers should take a look.

Set across five days, and reportedly based on a true story, the yarn starts with the trio already being hunted by soldiers in the countryside: Park Min-jae (singer Jin I-han), a macho corporal who led the escape by wounding a superior; nerdy Kim Dong-min, bullied by other soldiers; and Kang Jae-hun (Lee Yeong-hun, "No Regret"), whose mother is dying of cancer. After Kim shoots himself, Park and Kang hop a ride to Seoul, where Kang persuades his g.f. (So Yu-jin) to help them. Claustrophobic atmosphere of being chased in a small, tightly controlled country is suspensefully maintained, as the media latch onto the story and the deserters try to see justice done. Crisp widescreen HD lensing is a further plus.

Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Yun Ji-woon; editor, Lee Song; music, Lee Byong-hun. Reviewed at Pusan Film Festival (Korean Cinema Today), Oct. 14, 2009. Original title: Talju. Running time: 109 MIN.