Brother and sister Raymond (Brandon Soo Hoo) and Coco (Andie Ju) have brought shame on their family in the past. He got thrown out of Duke, and she dropped out of art school. But those things will pale in comparison with the high-stakes criminal activity in which they become involved in Jing Ai Ng’s feature-length debut “Forge” (Utopia).
Set in the profitable Miami art world, Coco puts her artistic talents to use making forgeries and then selling them to unsuspecting people like Craigslist art dealer Sandy (out actor T.R. Knight), who pays her $20k for one of her pieces supposedly credited to a famous painter. Meanwhile, Raymond is working a variety of scams.
Then they learn of Holden (Edmund Donovan), whose family, the Beaumonts, are described as the Kennedys of the Carolinas. Holden inherited his grandfather’s old Miami mansion, along with his priceless art collection, which was severely damaged by a combination of a storm-related flood and canvas-eating rats. Holden, who operates an events company, has a reputation for being the “poster-boy for millennial scams,” and is desperately in need of money. Coco, Raymond, and Holden work out an arrangement, and Coco gets busy recreating the collection, which they plan to sell to the recently relocated gallery owner Ann (Sonya Walger), who has a wealthy client list.
Meanwhile, FBI agent Emily Lee (out actor Kelly Marie Tran of “The Wedding Banquet” fame) is in Miami. An art forgery expert with the art crimes department, she is in town to find those responsible for forgeries that have started appearing in South Florida.
Coincidentally, and on a recommendation, Emily stops by a Chinese restaurant to pick up some carry-out. She talks to Jeanette (Dawn Ying Yuen), who it turns out is Coco and Raymond’s mother. She works as a hostess at the restaurant, owned by the brother-in-law, and she tells Emily to come back for lunch the next day.
While this may take the “small world” concept a bit too far, we actually do get to see Emily work through making the connections, and it’s both exhilarating and entertaining. Eventually, everything collapses, and Emily is onto the siblings’ plan. It’s unexpectedly intriguing to watch how it all plays out. The shots of downtown Miami’s skyline at night, including some on a causeway, are appealing and a reminder that it’s a city that deserves more big-screen attention than it’s gotten in recent years.
Rating: B-
