The Forbidden City review: A bold kung fu–gangster romance that defies expectations

Thekabarnews.com—Italian director Gabriele Mainetti made The Forbidden City (La Città Proibita), a big, ambitious movie that mixes different types of movies. He wrote and directed the movie. It has many different things going on, like kung fu action, romance, revenge, and gangster drama. The formula works most of the time, even though it shouldn’t.

Mei, the main character, is from China and moved to the U.S. Yaxi Liu is the actress who plays her. She goes to Italy to find her sister, who has been missing for a while. She meets Marcello, the son of a traditional trattoria owner who doesn’t want to be there. Enrico Borello plays Marcello. At first, the alliance isn’t very strong, but as time progresses, things become more complicated and don’t always proceed as planned.

One of the best parts of the movie is Yaxi Liu. She has worked as a stuntperson, so every fight scene feels real and intense. Mei uses anything she can find to protect herself, like chairs, kitchen tools, and bottles. She turns normal places into battlefields. Even when things get absurd, the dance moves still look real and are easy to follow.

There are some problems with the movie, though. There are too many side stories in the middle of the main story. This makes the main problem less clear and takes longer to fix. Some of the emotional scenes between Mei and Marcello seem rushed because the story moves too quickly for their relationship to grow.

It is intriguing that the romance doesn’t go the way most people think it will. Mei only wants what she deserves, but Marcello is still working for his family’s business. Initially, their personalities do not align, and the language barrier, which contributes to much of the movie’s entertainment and creates a sense of distance between them, adds to the humor. 

People are also on edge because Italy and China have very different ways of living. They start to wonder who they are, where they fit in, and what “home” really means.

The Forbidden City is a wonderful movie because it tells a brave story and is directed with confidence, even though it moves too slowly at times. Mainetti does a competent job of keeping the style and content in check. People stay interested in the movie even when the story goes off track because it is so original and full of energy.

The Forbidden City is a fun ride that ends with a lot of heart. It isn’t perfect, but the way it mixes genres and the outstanding lead performance make it one of the most unique movies of the year.