Derailed (두 남자) – The Story of Troubled Youths in Korea’s Underworld - Written By Marc Smith

Derailed (두 남자) – The Story of Troubled Youths in Korea’s Underworld

Written by Marc Smith 

          I expected it to be good. I didn’t expect this. I can honestly say this is my favourite Korean film, not just of the festival, but of the year so far. This gritty drama of runaway teens and malicious gangsters really packs a punch.

Minho Choi and Don Lee in Derailed

          In the post film Q&A, director Lee Seong-tae said that he wanted to make the story of a desperate man. Derailed, aptly named 두 남지 (Do Namja - Two Men) in Korean, is the story of two desperate men. Min-ho Choi (최민호), famous for his music and modelling careers, is excellent. He plays Jin-il, a boy in his late teens, living on the streets of Seoul. Together with his three friends, they face down the fear and uncertainty of living rough, getting by through various crimes and cons. It is through one of these cons that they meet Don Lee (마동석)'s character. By day, his character is a doting father and husband. By night, a crooked karaoke bar owner that exploits teenagers into working for him. After trying to recruit Jin-il's girlfriend, their paths intertwine, eventually leading to dire consequences for both of the do namja.

          Don Lee was singled out for praise by Director Lee for his role in the film. He said that he "never envisioned to make the movie have so much action and so many fight scenes but [Don Lee] brought such power it seemed to happen naturally." Fresh from his success with Train to Busan (부산행), many articles over the past few weeks have linked Don Lee to productions in Hollywood. He wasn't at the screening, having returned to the U.S, where he lives, to work on other projects. This latest movie will only build on whatever plaudits he has already received. His towering presence and physicality didn't just reach the audience. "You didn't have to act when you were in a fight scene with 마동석," one of his co-stars told us with a chuckle. 

          The tension mounts throughout the movie and ends when the two men meet for the three way showdown with a gangster played by Jae-young Kim (김재영), which you could really call a coming together of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The whole sequence is fairly reminiscent of THAT SCENE (profanity, violence) from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Without ruining it for you, I'll just say: punches are thrown, blood is spilled and the mounting tension hits its climax.

Director Lee Seong-tae with a handsome, dashing, charismatic stranger

I can't recommend this movie enough.