SXSW Review: ‘Forge’ is a Sleek, Perfectly-Paced Art World Thriller with a Terrific Cast

Those who appreciate art read a great deal into each piece they observe. Collectors pride themselves on possessing rare works that speak to a moment in time and the arduous efforts of the artist, who poured so much of their heart and soul into creating something timeless. Recreating a priceless work of art doesn’t necessarily take that much less time depending on the resources available and the targeted level of accuracy, but it does serve as a helpful way to make quick money that is by all definitions against the law. Forge lives within the world of the best of the best, talented enough to stay under the radar until greediness attracts unwanted attention.

Coco (Andie Ju) meets with Craigslist art appraiser Sandy Baker (T.R. Knight) at a Florida motel, and she’s amazed when he offers her $20,000 for a piece of art left behind by her late aunt. It turns out, however, that it’s a forgery, painted by Coco in collaboration with her brother Raymond (Brandon Soo Hoo). Coco jumps on an opportunity to level up, helping Holden (Edmund Donovan) to artificially restore his grandfather’s completely damaged art collection to repay his sizeable debts. As their operation gets off the ground, it coincides with the arrival of FBI Agent Emily Lee (Kelly Marie Tran), who works in the Art Crimes department and, purely by coincidence, forms a close relationship with Coco and Raymond’s mother when she happens upon her Chinese restaurant on New Year’s Eve.

Jing Ai Ng makes a strong directorial debut with this film, which sometimes feels like a caper comedy and at others like a serious heist movie, moving swiftly between humor and drama as the stakes are raised for the characters involved. Coco has incredible talent, and Raymond is also quite skilled, and as long as they don’t try to do too much at once, they should be fine. But, despite a sense of loneliness and little support from her local colleagues, Emily is as intelligent as she is driven, and the siblings opting to work with unreliable partners like rich-kind-in-a-bind Holden means her process of connecting the dots may be greatly accelerated.

While Tran, a bankable star from the recent Star Wars trilogy, receives top billing here, she doesn’t even appear in the film’s first few scenes. Ju is the real star, saying little but full of fire and attitude when she does speak, not happy to be underestimated but also not one to shout her own praises. Raymond’s cover story for his family is that he’s a successful banker while Coco is a failed art student, and while Raymond does respect his sister and defer to her artistic prowess and brilliance, it’s not easy being perceived as a failure. That only drives her to excel even more, since she knows that her hard work pays off with sky-high sums coming her way.

This film benefits from an excellent ensemble, led by the electric pairing of Ju and Hoo. It’s clear that they’re close and that they enjoy working together, but they also have different levels of devotion that can be clouded by other things, namely Raymond’s attraction to Holden’s wife Talia (Eva De Dominici). Donovan plays his part to the tee, revealing his character’s dangerous vulnerability, while De Dominici adds dimensions to her portrayal of someone who has allegedly married into wealth but understands the importance of the long game. Tran is a solid lead also, bringing plenty of personality to her generally sour investigator. This film makes great use of all of its just under two hours, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats to see how this story all plays out and whether it’s ever really possible to root only for the good guys.

Movie Rating: 8/10