Hirokazu Kore-eda made a bit of a departure with his last film, 2019’s “The Truth.” The French film was the director’s first film set outside his native Japan and the first not in his native language. Now, in his latest film, “Broker,” Kore-eda returns to Asia, but not quite Japan. Instead, his new drama takes place in South Korea, and revolves around the peculiar phenomenon of baby boxes and the adoption black market.
A drama on human trafficking? Not to worry. “Broker” shows Kore-eda’s warm, contemplative style on full display, complete with the social nuance of another recent film of his, 2018’s “Shoplifters.”
Here’s the film’s official synopsis from its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it vied for the Palme d’Or:
One rainy night, a baby is left at the baby box facility. Sang-hyun and Dong-soo secretly take it home. However, the next day, So-young unexpectedly returns, looking for her baby Woo-sung. She decides to call the police when she finds out that her boy is missing. The two men’s explanation that they took him to find suitable parents willing to adopt him is hard to believe, but with nowhere left to go, she decides to join their mission to find new parents for her boy. Meanwhile, the police detective Su-jin and her subordinate Detective LEE have been investigating the case for the past 6 months, waiting for the decisive moment when they can catch the duo in act. This group of people, brought together by a baby box, set off on a journey that will lead to destinations they never expected.
“Broker” stars Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun, and Lee Joo-young. Lim Ju-hwan, Park Ji-yong, Im Seung-soo, and Kang Gil-woo also star.
While “Broker” didn’t win the Palme d’Or like “Shoplifters” did in 2018, it did win the Ecumenical Jury Award at the festival. Song Kang-ho also won the Best Actor Award at Cannes for his performance. Following its world premieres at Cannes, “Broker” hit theaters in Hong Kong and Singapore on June 23, and then Japan theaters the next day. It also screened at the Sydney Film Festival in June and the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Expect “Broker” on many critics’ Top 10 lists for 2022 films as the year draws to a close. See what all the fuss is about when the film hits theaters on December 26. Watch a new trailer for the film below.