Martial Arts and Romance are a heady brew in the electrifying The Forbidden City, playing at the Fantasia Film Festival 2025.
There is something thoroughly modern and at the same time old-fashioned about The Forbidden City. A film that’s equal parts crime thriller, martial arts revenge film, and cross-cultural romance is the kind of swift kick to the head both action junkies and cineastes crave. Driven by a star-making performance by stuntwoman turned actor Yaxi Liu, director Gabriele Mainetti’s newest film could be a box office phenomenon in waiting.
Mei (Liu) comes to Rome in search of her sister, who left China with a promise to return. The young woman is met by violent sex traders right off the boat. The woman, no wilting flower, is a force to be reckoned with as she skillfully dispatches foe after foe. One simple question screamed in a primal fury; “Where’s Yun?” That question will lead Mei into the barely afloat restaurant of Marcello (Enrico Borello). Their ties her missing sister and his runaway father will lead them down a rabbit hole of criminality, diaspora, bones crushed, love found, and what happened to her sister and his father.
The Forbidden City’s robust 138-minute runtime moves the way that classics of the genre like Die Hard or Crouching Tiger, HiddenDragon do. The film understands how to tell its story and that not all action films need to go-go-go and not all romances need to be navel-gazing affairs. The film builds upon its story, adding characters and developing those it introduces, never leaving a single one behind. Goons with names like “chip ‘n dale” get moments of character and humanity, shades of FBI Agents Johnson and Johnson (no relation). Even the Middle Eastern cook takes his agency into his own hands, telling a main character the score of a situation. Mainetti understands that his epic can share the wealth of its runtime to give us rich characters and still leave us more than enough time for involving hard hitting action scenes.
The action scenes… What wonderfully kinetic action set pieces choreographed with the kind of ferocity and impact that will remind martial arts fans of old-school Jet Li films directed by Wu Ping. There is a connection between character/story and the action set pieces, moving both along towards the film’s finale. The geography and camera work by cinematographer Paolo Carnera rival that of the action itself. It is so accomplished and memorable The Forbidden City knows the exact place to get out. Slyly trading a clichéd action-filled finale for drama that is as thrilling and emotionally satisfying as any action best could be in its place.
One isn’t sure what is more stunning, the action work of Yaxi Liu or her dramatic work in the big emotional beats. Put together, it is an impressive feat that will have the actor high in demand. Enrico Borello is perfectly cast as Marcello, her romantic foil. Neither are damsels, nor are they put into that role, though the film manages to subvert those expectations numerous times with great results. The way the script gives them beats that are neither typical of action films nor romances is the heart and soul of the film. Mainetti and his fellow screenwriters have taken the time on both the action and the drama to create a winning combination that has you rooting for Liu’s Mei and Borello’s Marcello until the very end.
The Forbidden City is lightning in a bottle. A truly great action film that delivers everything you want and more.
The Forbidden City plays at the Fantasia Film Festival 2025 on July 25th
Martial Arts and Romance are a heady brew in the electrifying The Forbidden City, playing at the Fantasia Film Festival 2025.
There is something thoroughly modern and at the same time old-fashioned about The Forbidden City. A film that’s equal parts crime thriller, martial arts revenge film, and cross-cultural romance is the kind of swift kick to the head both action junkies and cineastes crave. Driven by a star-making performance by stuntwoman turned actor Yaxi Liu, director Gabriele Mainetti’s newest film could be a box office phenomenon in waiting.
Mei (Liu) comes to Rome in search of her sister, who left China with a promise to return. The young woman is met by violent sex traders right off the boat. The woman, no wilting flower, is a force to be reckoned with as she skillfully dispatches foe after foe. One simple question screamed in a primal fury; “Where’s Yun?” That question will lead Mei into the barely afloat restaurant of Marcello (Enrico Borello). Their ties her missing sister and his runaway father will lead them down a rabbit hole of criminality, diaspora, bones crushed, love found, and what happened to her sister and his father.
The Forbidden City’s robust 138-minute runtime moves the way that classics of the genre like Die Hard or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon do. The film understands how to tell its story and that not all action films need to go-go-go and not all romances need to be navel-gazing affairs. The film builds upon its story, adding characters and developing those it introduces, never leaving a single one behind. Goons with names like “chip ‘n dale” get moments of character and humanity, shades of FBI Agents Johnson and Johnson (no relation). Even the Middle Eastern cook takes his agency into his own hands, telling a main character the score of a situation. Mainetti understands that his epic can share the wealth of its runtime to give us rich characters and still leave us more than enough time for involving hard hitting action scenes.
The action scenes… What wonderfully kinetic action set pieces choreographed with the kind of ferocity and impact that will remind martial arts fans of old-school Jet Li films directed by Wu Ping. There is a connection between character/story and the action set pieces, moving both along towards the film’s finale. The geography and camera work by cinematographer Paolo Carnera rival that of the action itself. It is so accomplished and memorable The Forbidden City knows the exact place to get out. Slyly trading a clichéd action-filled finale for drama that is as thrilling and emotionally satisfying as any action best could be in its place.
One isn’t sure what is more stunning, the action work of Yaxi Liu or her dramatic work in the big emotional beats. Put together, it is an impressive feat that will have the actor high in demand. Enrico Borello is perfectly cast as Marcello, her romantic foil. Neither are damsels, nor are they put into that role, though the film manages to subvert those expectations numerous times with great results. The way the script gives them beats that are neither typical of action films nor romances is the heart and soul of the film. Mainetti and his fellow screenwriters have taken the time on both the action and the drama to create a winning combination that has you rooting for Liu’s Mei and Borello’s Marcello until the very end.
The Forbidden City is lightning in a bottle. A truly great action film that delivers everything you want and more.
The Forbidden City plays at the Fantasia Film Festival 2025 on July 25th
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