Set in Korea, the film stars Song Kang-ho of “Parasite” as the title character, Sang-hyeon, the middle-aged proprietor of a Busan laundry who, in debt to loan sharks, steals an infant who has been left in one of the city’s receptacles for unwanted children, with the intention of selling the child for a hefty sum. Assisted by his young friend Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won), who volunteers at a local church equipped with such a device — a compartment that resembles a sidewalk clothing donation bin — Sang-hyeon embarks on a trip seeking adoptive parents for Woo-sung, the adorable baby boy, played by Park Ji-yong, whose mother has just abandoned him.
Perhaps abandoned is not quite the right word. After the 20-something So-young (K-pop singer Lee Ji-eun) has second thoughts, she tracks down Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo, ultimately agreeing to accompany the men on their journey — presented as part mission of mercy, part mercenary undertaking — so she can ensure that Woo-sung will receive the best possible home, not to mention the best price.
It a formula that’s initially a little hard to swallow. (Kore-eda’s screenplay also stirs in a murder investigation, along with themes of prostitution and adultery.) It all works — more or less. This ability to lighten the mood of family drama without sugarcoating is arguably Kore-eda’s most mysterious gift, on display in several of his previous films, including “Like Father, Like Son,” about the families of two children accidentally switched at birth, and “After the Storm,” about a divorced father craving connection with his son.
Much of “Broker” takes place on the road in a battered van. Its four passengers — Sang-hyeon, Dong-soo, So-young and Woo-sung — eventually become five when the group takes on a stowaway (Im Seung-soo) during a pit stop at the orphanage where Dong-soo grew up. Hae-jin, a young boy without parents who looks up to Dong-soo as a father figure, enlarges this kooky “found” family, in which each member gradually settles into more traditional roles: So-young and Dong-soo edging toward romance, with Sang-hyeon, a divorced dad, sliding into character as avuncular paterfamilias. When the baby, Woo-sung, comes down with a fever and is taken to the hospital, an employee asks Hae-jin if he’s the infant’s big brother, and the kid says, without hesitation, he is.
It sounds cloying, and at times “Broker’s” momentum comes perilously close to derailment — always righted by Kore-eda cutting away to scenes featuring the two female cops who are in hot pursuit of the human traffickers (Doona Bae and Lee Joo-young), and whose bored banter is a welcome tonic to this increasingly congenial carload of criminals.
Ultimately, it’s the police who seem more committed to selling the kid, resorting to sting tactics when their efforts to catch Sang-Hyeon in the act fail. For these roving baby brokers, their hearts just aren’t in the game. But the movie may just win yours over.
R. At area theaters. Contains some strong language and mature thematic elements. In Korean with subtitles. 129 minutes.
