Synopsis:
From Gabriele Mainetti, director of They Call Me Jeeg Robot and Freaks Out, comes the action-packed tale of two strangers seeking the truth and vengeance. Mei arrives in Rome looking for her missing sister and, along the way, meets Marcello, who is desperate to find his father. Together, they will fight their way through the Roman underworld. Filled with lightning-paced martial arts, THE FORBIDDEN CITY is an action epic not to be missed.
What We Thought:
The actress who plays the lead character in The Forbidden City has an extensive stunt background so because of that the action and fight choreography are pretty great. Her character gets the crap beaten out of her multiple times and she kicks all types of butt as well. I don’t think I’m familiar with anyone involved in the film, but I’d watch more leading action performances from the main actress.
The film opens decades back in China explaining their one child policy and a family worrying about having two daughters. It jumps to present day with a Chinese woman in Italy searching for her sister. She finds herself with other Chinese women being mistreated until she fights back. She is told her sister was with an older Italian man and she’s out in the city trying to find them. The action takes us to a restaurant, to Chinese gangsters and everyone in between. As the story unfolds many people are involved and she wants revenge on all of them. She teams up with an Italian man to get her answers and to survive in Italy.
Again, I have no idea who any of the people involved in the film are, but the main actress is fantastic. The fight sequences are not lacking and she kicks some major butt. The only issue with the film is it’s a bit too long. It’s over 2 hours long and probably should have come in around an hour forty. Some of the backstory or side characters could have been cut and the extended ending could have been axed.
The Forbidden City is what you want in an international drama. The characters and story all make sense and you understand why she’d go all that way for her sister. The action is topnotch and the main actress captures and holds your attention throughout. Her stunt background pays off well and she has pretty solid acting chops too.
The Nerds Templar 