TIFF 2022: Broker Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

When looking at the Japanese film industry currently, Hirokazu Kore-eda is undoubtedly at the centre of it. After consistently crafting acclaimed films throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, Kore-eda established himself as one of today’s leading international filmmakers when he won the coveted Palme d’Or for Shoplifters.

Kore-eda’s latest was one of the most buzzed about films at the festival this year, and it’s not difficult to understand why. Broker sees Kore-eda team up with Parasite star Song Kang-Ho and a cast of other high profile South Korean actors for this familial drama about a woman who temporarily leaves her newborn in a baby box. Upon return, she finds that her child is in the care of two brokers who are notorious for stealing babies from the boxes and selling them on the adoption black market. When she decides to accompany them on their cross country journey to make sure her child is adopted by loving parents, the trio realize they share more in common than they initially thought.

As with the majority of Kore-eda’s best material, Broker is an exploration of familial bonds and the idea of found family. Perhaps not his most adventurous work. it covers familiar territory and it certainly seems like Kore-eda doesn’t have much desire to step out of his comfort zone at this point. However, he plays to his strengths and crafts another gem of a film, filled to the brim with heart and humanity.

Broker is an incredibly captivating watch, mainly due to the strength of the ensemble that Kore-eda has assembled. The film marks the first time audiences have seen Song since he attained international recognition for Parasite. His performance here is much more subtle and melancholic then what many audiences are used to from him, portraying a character full of regret. Won perfectly compliments Song, portraying his younger partner in crime, with much more noble intentions. However, the standout is surprisingly K-pop star turned actress Lee Ji-eun (AKA IU), who delivers a fierce, multi-layered performance, portraying a young mother battling with the demons of her past. The overall cast has impeccable chemistry and makes it easy to fall in love with their unexpected family dynamic.

In the end, Broker is essentially a greatest hits reel for Kore-eda. The film may be nothing audiences haven’t seen from him before and it may feel somewhat safe at this point in his career, but it is nonetheless such a loving portrait of found family with stellar performances and writing, that it’s easy to overlook its creative shortcomings.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Tristan French