The Asian auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda has once again produced another masterpiece about the real significance of family. Broker begins with a pair of child smugglers, a shy young mother, her baby boy and an additional orphan who goes along to sell the kid during an aimless journey through towns. In addition, these adult characters seem horrible and like money grubbers at first glance with their activities having complex and deeply personal justifications. They are chased by detectives who eventually understand what is driving them towards crime. It’s a challenging question that Broker presents with sensitivity. They find the humanity that has been missing in their wretched lives.
One rainy night in Busan, South Korea, Moon So-young (Lee Ji-eun) leaves her baby in front of a church but she doesn’t place Woo-sung (Park Ji-yong) inside the baby box. So-young does not know that this church is under surveillance by Sergeant Soo-jin (Bae Doona) and Detective Lee (Lee Joo-young). As they wait for their true targets, Soo-jin tells Lee to follow the mother.
Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won), part-time worker at the church deletes footage from security cameras showing the baby. He takes Woo-sung to Sang-hyeon’s (Song Kang-ho) laundromat nearby. The men sell those babies from church to rich couples who can’t have children themselves. Dong-soo grew up in an orphanage and believes that his babies will live better life than he did as a child. Sang-hyeon owes debts in gambling but also feels right about it.
This changes though when she comes back for her son at the church next day and finds no sign of him having been left there; Dong-soo fears she could call police on him; he takes her to see Sang-hyeon where they explain how business is done. So-young demands a cut of the money. They agree that she will accompany them to meet the buyers.
The two cops, Soo-jin and Lee are watching everything they do. The baby has to be sold first, then all those involved in trafficking arrested on the spot by police officers. This deal is ruined by So-young. The buyers are not good enough. Dong-soo decides to go back to his orphanage with them for another plan. Meanwhile, the cops tail them through this area as someone’s body is discovered in one luxurious hotel room.
So-young’s actions start making sense as her past begins unfolding before the audience; from afar, Soo-jin detests her for being nonchalant. Why would you get pregnant if you are just going abandon it there? She did not even put Woo-sung into the box possibly because she was aware that was where it had been placed but again it could have been otherwise; Lee however wonders if they should have approached her at the church or not; also they try to grapple with their aims as traffickers find themselves in strange land; Woo-sung means more than just a profitable commodity which must be given away like any other thing out there: he needs parents who would provide him with everything essential towards his growth and development – thus only becoming a family tie between these two young men that no one expected.
Hirokazu writes, directs, and edits Broker. Just like in his Palme d’Or winning film Shoplifters he skillfully intermingles characters together achieving peak points at which their justification comes into view. Hirokazu personifies our potential for change and accountability for our own shortcomings too well throughout Broker since each character undergoes some kind of unbelievable personal progressions.
Broker’s final act is masterly executed while selling babies regardless of how benevolent it might seem remains an illegal activity according to the law. The ending treads a fine line between realism and hope. In any case, a good father or mother always wants the best for his/her offspring. So-young’s journey epitomizes what mothers have to go through in this harsh world they live in.
Watch free movies on Fmovies
