HULU REVIEW: The Forger

THE FORGER

RELEASED: OUT NOW (On Hulu)

RATED: PG-13

RATING: *****/*****

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) Joshua, a teenager with a drugged-out mother on the run, wanders into the affluent community of Carmel, California. After getting himself into trouble, the authorities try to track down his mother. But in the meantime, a successful artist/businessman offers to take in Joshua and let him have a chance at a good life. His motives are questionable considering his line of business and how he plans to use Joshua's artistic talents, but Joshua has met a girl and he's not sure if the money is worth selling off his morals.

THE PRO'S: Extremely well written and acted. Some extremely well done messages placed throughout. Interesting and engaging storyline.

THE CON'S: None really.

THE REVIEW:

The Forger was another one that has been on my radar for quite some time. Not only because of it's awesome cast (Josh Hutcherson, Hayden Panatierre, AND Alfred Molaina, just wow!) but because the premise was so interesting. And thankfully, the three-year wait to watch this was well worth it.

The movie tells the story of Josh, a runaway who has been abandoned by his mother, a drug addict. Stopping into a small down, he breaks into the home of an art forger, and finishes a forged painting. Amazed at his talent, the man takes Josh under his wing, and leads him into his "world". A world which Josh comes to learn is even more dangerous than the one he left behind.

It's a fairly simple premise, but it plays out wonderfully. The story is told in a far-from-generic way, and each character seems to take on a life of their own. It's not always the most original story, but it does do a good job of keeping it engaging, and fascinating. The best part of the story being how seriously it seems to take the story it's telling.

As I said before, the acting here is also stellar. Josh Hutcherson, as usual, delivers an excellent performance for a young actor, as does Hayden Panettiere, who just continues to wow. While film veterans Alfred Molaina and the late Lauren Bacall also lead the charge from the adult side of things, and do it wonderfully. Though his role is small, a young Scott Eastwood also plays a role here and is memorable as Panettiere's brother.

What's more, it's actually a beautiful movie to look at. The scenery of the coastal town tends to be breathtaking, and all of the art in the movie is elegant as well. While only the latter is the focal point of the story, the former does provide good scenery eye candy and add something in and of itself. So I'd definitely count that among the pluses.

But what I love most about this movie is it's message. Both about love and honesty. Both are handled in a wonderfully realistic way, and treated with great care. Which is another thing this movie gets very right: the realism. I felt like any one of these characters are people I could walk up to on the street. With major props to the writer for the sheer realism both in their actions and their dialogue. 

So...

IN CONCLUSION:
 

The Forger is a wonderfully shot, written, and acted movie. It's definitely worth a look if you're looking for a fun, engaging drama and hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much. The performances, and story alone are worth it.

5 OUT OF 5 STARS

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