There’s a scene early in “Forge” where sibling grifters Raymond (Brandon Soo Hoo) and Coco (Andie Ju) meet with a shady connection outside the neon blue-lit patio of a nightclub. Masked in the shadows of Miami’s literal and figurative dark side, the trio discusses the logistics of their art hustle: unwrapping an interesting narrative concept in a visually striking and thoughtful setting. It sets up the next scene well, but like so much of the movie, it is betrayed by wobbly acting, exposition-heavy dialogue, and a script with just enough grist to mill two acts, but not three.
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Raymond and Coco have just refined their painting scam when “Forge” kicks off, yet are eager to move more product when they get wind of a local blueblood hoping to meet them. Holden Beaumont (Edmund Donovan) wants the siblings to forge replicas of his family’s recently destroyed art collection. Only Holden and his wife, Talia (Eva De Dominici), know about the destruction; however, if Coco and Raymond can produce believable copies, all four can split the proceeds of the sales.
The siblings partner up with Holden right around the time FBI agent Emily Lee (Kelly Marie Tran) rolls into town. Agent Lee is with the Bureau’s Art Crimes Department, and several very convincing forgeries originating in and around Miami have her poking around to see if she can scare up any leads. As the orbits of Emily, Coco, Raymond, and Beaumont expand into one another, and the logistics of forging multiple pieces begin to tax the fragile operation, tension builds for the inevitable collision.
Writer/director Jing Ai Ng does a good job keeping everything moving forward with efficient character introductions and story development, and maintains a brisk pace throughout the 110-minute runtime. Much of this is the result of a script that is exposition-heavy, however, and as things progress, it too often feels like a cascading and-then-and-then-and-then story where everything and everyone is pretty much what they seem. “Forge” sets up Beaumont as a rich asshole who can’t be trusted, Emily as a smart fish out of water, and Raymond and Coco as clever kids in over their heads, leading to a tense confrontation where everything unfolds with predictable precision and what one might easily assume will happen…does.
It’s not bad, really: just boring. The set-up is an interesting one, as are the characters and their history within this world; it’s just that there aren’t many surprises as the film works through its paces. There’s an attempt to tie the events into a larger conversation about community and the immigrant experience, yet this doesn’t land and is little more than a doorstop for things that need to take place in the third act. It all leads to an uninspired climax that arrives with a whimper rather than a bang, squandering some very alluring and dynamic visual language.
The scene early in the film featuring Coco and Raymond hiding in the margins of a blue-washed Miami evening is just the first of nearly a dozen that showcase the luscious, layered landscapes of southern Florida. D.P Leo Purman creates atmosphere and texture with the long shadows of dusk, the artificial white lights of full evening, and the blinding onslaught of sun-soaked beaches, adding character to scenes where the script or acting let the movie down. That is just what they do; however, there aren’t enough developments or character progressions to sustain a story as thin as this one.
Tran does a decent job as the scholarly Fed playing catch-up throughout much of the film. However, most of the other cast seem to struggle with the material, and never quite sell the urgency, desperation, and exhilaration of confidence work. What’s the payoff, or the juice, for these capers? Holden Beaumont is motivated by his family’s legacy and financial issues. Still, Raymond and Coco never explain why they need all this money, and no one seems to be having any fun throughout it.
So, what’s the point?
“Forge” doesn’t provide much in the way of an answer, and despite an intriguing set-up and some slick camera work, there isn’t much here to redeem the greater effort. Visuals and lighting aside, the production fails to impress in any meaningful way, and for a story rooted in art, con jobs, and detective work, “Forge” doesn’t seem to have much fun exploring any of them, allowing a person room to wonder who this movie is for and why. Like the paintings Coco and Raymond are slinging, this one has the look of a good movie, yet is a spirited imitation at best. [D]
Warren Cantrell is a film and music critic based out of Seattle, Washington. Mr. Cantrell has covered the Sundance and Seattle International Film Festivals, and provides regular dispatches for Scene-Stealers.com. Warren holds a B.A. and M.A. in History, and his hobbies include bourbon drinking, novel writing, and full-contact kickboxing.
