Quick review for the film “Broker.”
A young Korean woman leaves her unwanted baby outside a “baby box” at a church one rainy night. Two female detectives sit in a car watching. A man working at the church retrieves the baby and erases the video tape of the incident. He works with a partner to sell unwanted babies on the black market. He’s a broker. Through a series of circumstances I won’t spoil here, the baby brokers and the young mother go on a journey to find a home for her child, all the while being watched by the police.
I know this sounds very dark but it’s actually one of the most gentle and humanistic films I’ve ever seen. In many ways this is a road comedy. There is a surprising amount of humor considering the circumstances. That said, it never makes light of it’s subject matter. It will leave you asking many questions.
You grow to care and understand every character in this film. You will likely feel conflicted as the story unfolds. Who am I rooting for? I think humanity as a whole is the answer, each one of these people an important part. You see the past and present choices of each person come together in a future where there are no simple answers. And along the way all of these lost souls form a family. This is director Hirokazu Koreeda’s speciality. Rejection. Failure. Regret. Hope. Understanding. Compassion. A few of the many spices of life.
I highly recommend this one.
Open Life Up 