Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Broker tells the fascinating tale of human trafficking unfolding at a seemingly innocent baby box, where volunteers help parents safely abandon children they cannot or will not look after.
Woo-sung, abandoned by his young mother outside one such establishment, finds himself removed from his orphanage’s anticipated haven and taken into the home of two corrupt employees, Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Dong-won Gang). Posing as sincere volunteers at their local baby box, they use their shifts as a cover to steal unloved newborns and sell them on for huge profit. Horrific, no doubt, yet it’s also the only way they see to keep the debt collector at bay as unpaid bills snap at their heels.
Harmless at first glance, these two men are the focus of Broker and a source of endless fascination for its audience, for we can’t help but wonder: if these seemingly ordinary men can be part of such a horrific industry, what else might they be capable of? More than anything, we are left to worry about what will come of the adorable child now under their control.
In the case of Woo-sung, not all goes to plan, as his birth mother swiftly returns, complicating their already precarious situation. Yet, recognising So-young’s (Ji-eun Lee, aka IU) desperation, they offer her a deal she can’t afford to refuse, ultimately smoothing the way for a successful sale.
Travelling across Korea on a mission to find the child a good (and, most importantly, wealthy) home, our misfits get to know one another, expressing both judgement and sympathy as they come to understand the circumstances that have led each one to their present.
So-young, Sang-hyeon and Dong- soo make an odd yet uniquely adorable make-shift family, even more so when an unexpected fourth member joins the trio on their hunt for a trustworthy buyer. Despite their participation t in this monstrous act, these characters’ humanity is always evident, highlighted in the care and consideration they show for the newborn and each other, as Broker refuses to relegate them to villain archetypes. The effect is a timely and essential reminder of the true evil in this film: poverty.
On one side are our complicated criminals, committing dastardly deeds that should turn our stomachs, but with a desperation that instead earns, if not our sympathy, then at least our understanding. On the other side, the ‘good guys’. Determined, arguably obsessive police officers who spend days, perhaps even weeks of their lives stalking our ragtag criminals, determined to expose the human trafficking ring if it’s the last thing they do.
Leading the investigation is Detective Soo-jin (Bae Doona), an intriguing character who is judgemental of those she sees as sinful or useless, yet kind to those she views as weak or innocent. In charge of the as-yet-unsuccessful investigation into human trafficking, she is serious and withdrawn, only concerned with the job and being in the right. She shows a complete lack of interest in others, suggesting no sympathy for our desperate mother nor any love for her doting husband, even as her colleague (Lee Joo-young) points to her good fortune. As flawed as her opponents, she intrigues the audience with her cold inhumanity and obsessive sense of right and wrong, leaving us to struggle between feelings of sympathy and loathing.
Standing shoulders above all other films this year, what shines through most in Broker is its realism and portrayal of desperation that’s so familiar to an audience who have struggled through much in recent years. There is no obvious bad guy (even when you expect there to be), nor a certain hero. Our characters are all just ordinary people desperately trying to get by. So-young has more heart than it initially seems, though the lure of money keeps her battling her maternal instincts to the end. Our kidnappers’ humanity shines through in their fondness for young Woo Sung, their only aim to keep a roof over their heads and debt at bay while pairing the baby with a good family. Lastly, our police officers: dedicated, dutiful, yet no more interested in the child’s safety than anyone else in this film. They are far more interested in closing the case and proving their suspicions to doubtful superiors.
With a dream cast filled with well-known and highly respected actors, this film was always likely to do well. Yet, as each actor portrays their complex, flawed characters with effortless authenticity, the raw talent on display in Broker reminds the audience why these names have box-office draw. IU and Bae Doona again prove their ability to handle heavier topics, while Song Kang-ho perfectly balances humour with humanity in his surprisingly sympathetic performance. Special mention must naturally go to Seung-soo Im, whose portrayal of Hae-jin was such a delight, bringing joy and lightness to an otherwise dark film while exuding confidence and talent rare in actors his age.
The result of such spectacular casting and directing is a one-of-a-kind production, where dialogue and physicality pair with stunning cinematography to create a profoundly touching, thought-provoking film that aims straight for the heart. Both tense and utterly gripping, Broker is a triumph, a piece of cinema well worth travelling to see (and that’s saying something in this economy). It is a film both nail-biting and uneventful, where the humans, not the acts they find themselves committing, are the real story.
Broker screens at the London Korean Film Festival on November 10th.
The 17th London Korean Film Festival 2022 runs from 3rd November – 17th November in cinemas across London. For more info: https://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/