BROKER (B) - This is a low-key follow-up by Hirokazu Kore-eda to his impeccable shaggy dog story from 2018, "Shoplifters." Like that previous film, the writer-director cobbles together a makeshift family that lives just outside the law. This slow-paced effort provides diminishing returns.
Song Kang-ho ("Parasite") and Gang Dong-won play a mismatched pair -- the first, older, runs a laundry and the second is a former soccer star who grew up in an orphanage. They run a hustle in which they take babies left at a church's drop box and hawk them on the black market.
The baby's mother in this case, So-young (Lee Ji-eun), comes back for the baby and finds the pair, joining them in finding a suitable couple for the baby boy. This road-trip gang is joined by a boy, a major soccer fan, who escapes the orphanage to join the adventure, in what is portrayed to outsiders as an extended family. The group is tagged by two police detectives, including Bae Doona, stealing the show as Soo-jin, a hardened cop, partial to stuffing her face during stakeouts as she patiently tracks her prey.
The film is sweet and smart, but it never quite takes off. It is more of a series of vignettes, both amusing and touching. The narrative is knitted together neatly, and the performances are all strong (even the boy, always clinging to that soccer ball is charming). Lee comes off as pretty and shrewd, showing just enough maternal instinct to insist on finding the right home for her newborn. But it's the stone-faced Bae who quietly grounds the film, determined not to let these brokers get away with their crime.
I LOVE YOU MAN (2009) (A) - Everything comes together here to create comic gold -- a fine idea, solid jokes and a deep, talented cast. Paul Rudd takes command as a bumbling mensch who is set to get married but has no pool of friends from which to put together a stable of groomsmen.
Rudd plays goofy Peter Klaven, an L.A. real estate agent who is looking for a big score by selling the home of Lou Ferrigno (playing himself), aka the original Incredible Hulk. Peter is in love with his fiancee, Zooey (Rashida Jones), who begins to fret that Peter doesn't have enough friends to fill out the wedding party. So Peter agrees to get fixed up on man-dates and even goes online to meet buddies. They range from a 90-year-old man (Murray Gershenz) to an age-appropriate guy who mistakes Peter's interest for romantic affection (Thomas Lennon).
Peter eventually meets Sydney (Jason Segal), a free spirit who wanders into an open house at the Ferrigno place to sample the free food and trawl for divorced women. It's a fine meet-cute, and soon the two are bonding in Sydney's band cave, sharing their abject love for the band Rush. Peter's constant references to "slappin' [playing] the bass" is a wonderful running joke; in fact, Rudd is masterful at Peter's horrible attempts to do various accents (any accent he does comes out sounding like a leprechaun) or to coin lame hipster phrases, often just ending up tongue-tied.
John Hamburg, whose writing credits include "Meet the Parents" and "Zoolander" and who directed "Along Came Polly," wrote the script with journeyman Larry Levin. The writing is smart at every turn, silly but believable.
The cast here has so much talent that some strong players barely get screen time or lines to utter. Jaime Pressly and Sarah Burns are sharp as Zooey's best pals. Pressly, especially, riffs well with her brute of a husband, played by Jon Favreau. They have an acidic banter that inevitably tees up hot makeup sex. Nick Kroll and Aziz Ansari are barely there as Peter's fencing buddies. J.K. Simmons and Jane Curtin are Peter's parents, and Andy Samberg is Peter's brother, a gay fitness instructor who specializes in straight guys. Carla Gallo and Catherine Reitman barely squeeze in a few lines as Zooey's other friends. We get a glimpse of Matt Walsh in the role of "inpatient golfer."
This all revolves around Rudd and Segal and their giddy new friendship. Hamburg straddles the line between parody and heartfelt storytelling, and he crafts a low-key comedy classic.
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