BROKER

Makeshift families have been an enduring theme in the work of Hirokazu Koreeda, arguably the greatest living Japanese movie director. Broker is his first film shot in South Korea. It was inspired by the local “baby box” phenomenon: boxes outside churches where unwanted newborns can be left anonymously for eventual adoption. Church volunteer Sang-hyeon (Parasite’s Song Kang-ho) and his friend Dong-soon (Gang Dong-won) surreptitiously steal and sell these foundlings to eager adoptive parents, arguing it circumvents red tape – while, of course, making them a profit. When So Young (Lee Ji-eun) has second thoughts and finds her child gone, she joins forces with the two scammers, going on the road with them to meet prospective adopters. On their tail are a couple of increasingly puzzled cops charged with ending this human trafficking. But, repulsive as this trade surely is, Koreeda finds humanity in the most unlikely places – including the brokers’ hearts.