Breathless is a powerful movie that portrays the trials and tribulations of people who are exposed to domestic violence and the consequences they have to endure for it, through a strong, melancholy atmosphere. The characters and their situations are depicted so realistically that not everyone can handle a movie such as this.

The story goes like this: Sang-hoon is a lowlife who works for a loan shark and uses violence to persuade people to pay their debts. He is haunted by the memories of his dysfunctional family and lets it get the best of him, making him heartless and ruthless. However as he spends time with his young nephew and a high school girl he befriended, he gradually begins to change his outlook on life and finds hope for a more promising life.

Breathless is Yang Ik-joon’s first work as a director and it doesn’t disappoint. He also plays the main character Sang-hoon and gives a spectacular performance. At first Sang-hoon seems like some big-shot ‘ganster’ with a foul mouth and violent disposition but you later learn that he’s just a confused soul who can not forget the ghosts of his past and channels his frustration through beating people up.

The movie is chock-full of emotion - anger, depression, helplessness, loneliness - that is successfully displayed through the actors. The setting and atmosphere is appropriate for the movie. From the dirty streets to the dysfunctional homes, these settings help promote the intense feelings into the audience.
Overall, Breathless was a satisfying movie with a bittersweet ending. For an independent film with a low budget, it’s exceptionally good. The only real complaint I would have is the length of the movie. It was a tad too long for my tastes. I wouldn’t recommend the movie to anyone who is just looking for car chases, explosions, gore, hot babes or thrills, but to those who want a storyline with depth and an underlining moral. I also wouldn’t recommend it to people who can’t deal with foul language which is used throughout the movie. I’m not kidding. Almost every other sentence contains some sort of profanity. Maybe even three different words in one sentence.

You can check out the movie at the San Diego Asian Film Festival on Saturday October 17 at 9:30 PM and Monday October 19 at 9:30 PM. You can order tickets here.