User reviews

JCVD is an excellent surprise. It's a kind of dramatic comedy where Jean-Claude Van Damme plays with great conviction his own role in life. This starting postulate, to tell a passage of the life of a movie-star on the decline by the person himself, makes the movie sail between fiction and autobiography. This original and ambiguous concept propels the script in a tasty, funny and tragic reality/fiction realm. One can think sometimes of Pulp Fiction.

The famous movie-star, Jean-Claude, is surprisingly right and touching. Van Damme plays here the role of his life, in all the senses of the words. There will be a before and an after JCVD. The central monologue of the film, a rare feat of ingenuity, a long one-shot sequence of the star made up of his doubts and his anguishes, is bound to become a classic.

The film is however not perfect. The flashbacks are well carried out but some scenes seen twice can be somewhat long and would have been improved by being shortened a bit the second time around. This saved time would have made it possible to develop the supporting characters, like the police chief, a bit more. Speaking of supporting characters, those are somewhat caricatures and with one dimension.

JCVD reveals itself as an excellent surprise. Far from being a hollow marketing ploy, this film, probably the best of Van Damme, is a true success that deserves to be seen.

The question now is what will Van Damme do next?

Interesting concept from french director Mabrouk el Mechri: real action star Jean Claude Van Damme is engaged into a bitter legal battle for his daughter's custody. Said daughter is mocked by her classmates for her father's antics, and prefers staying with her mother. Ridiculed by the media and smarty-pants naysayers, condemned to shoot sub-par B-movies in eastern Europe, almost broke and devastated by his little girl's condition, Jean Claude flies back to his native Belgium in order to find solace. After an odd encounter with small time crooks, his life and perception by the public will be changed forever.

From a direction/scriptwriting point of view, the movie is somewhat lacking focus. It's relying a bit too much on inside jokes and heist movie clichés, for better or worse. There are some truly great moments (the opening scene is hilarious - any scene using Baby Huey's "Hard Times" tune cannot be bad anyway; the court scenes are cleverly written and the very last shot finds a perfect balance of emotion without being overblown or tear-jerking) and the whole film deserves praise for being original and clever. However it stretches some scenes way too much, uses an awful bleached color scheme that could turn off some people (it's just a detail, but it annoyed me throughout the whole screening) and uses unnecessary flashbacks instead of sticking to a more tight storytelling, which could've benefited the movie in my humble opinion.

However, these little flaws are nothing compared to the enormous heart this movie displays. Jean Claude Van Damme may not be Daniel Day Lewis or Sean Penn, but he gives an astounding performance in this film. He's very comfortable in the comical scenes, but his acting chops really shine when the movie gets emotional. His long monologue, looking at the camera, and the audience (and perhaps even God) is nothing short of amazing. In his own words, he really begs for a second chance not only in his career, but in life. He's incredibly moving (acting in his native language helps a lot) and above all doesn't try to pretend he's something more than a washed up movie star, with a somewhat limited vocabulary. He just asks for one more chance, and judging by this flick he truly deserves it.

Overall, a nice surprise for those unfamiliar with "the Muscles from Brussels" and a refreshing comedy. Except a few complaints about the pace and the direction it's a highly recommended movie. And hopefully the beginning of a new career for JCVD.

OK, I saw the movie today and here's my review: This movie is by far the best movie I've seen with Van Damme. Not his best action movie, because it's not what you would expect of a Van Damme movie, but the best movie he ever made. For me this is the highlight of his career and he'll probably never make a better movie.

The movie had indeed a dog day afternoon, even a Tarantino feel to it. The story is told in pieces and by the end of the movie all the pieces come together.

The beginning with the action scene is nicely done, and the one-take scene puts you right in the action.

Then the story continues with Van Damme arriving in Schaarbeek and going to the postoffice. From that moment one the story unravels.

Van Damme plays a portrait of himself and does this extremely well. He does have a sense for drama, and he really acts well. I do believe this has something to do with him being more comfortable in his native language.

The other main characters are perhaps not very well developed, no real background story, which for me is a bit off a flaw. But the movie off course centers around Van Damme.

The famous monologue is definitely a must see and is a summing of what he has encountered in his life, very moving.

This movie, for me, shows us that he definitely CAN act given the right director and script. I hope this opens eyes, and also his.

The direction for me was excellent and I think the director will go far. He clearly has talent.

I think the movie should've given a chance on the festival circuit, it definitely would've found an audience. (maybe they should do this in te states).

So conclusion? The best I've seen from Van Damme... A must see.

8/10.

JCVD (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a struggling B-movie action actor trying to maintain some artistic integrity despite everyone around him. He has custody problems and returned from family court in LA. He has been sleepless for 2 days. He goes into the bank and shots ring out. He's taken hostage but the cops think that he's the hostage taker.

JCVD shows some acting chop or he's tapping into his inner self. It's so fascinating that he is such a mess. It's also a mess that isn't unrealistic. There is a bit of action but that's not the heart of this movie. It is to watch JCVD break down his public image and then break down his character. The movie could use an A-list actor to be the bad guy as his foil. Nevertheless this is one of the greatest performance from JCVD ever.

I went into J.C.V.D with all the prepubescent memories of the action heroes of yesteryear; nostalgic roundhouse kicks, horrible dialogue, overdone explosions, one-liners and all. A time where the movie industry churned out the same movie a hundred different ways with the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stalone, and Van Damme in the spotlight. These action movies seem set aside from Hollywood history, not as bad films per say but as their own separate entity where critics and nay-sayers alike had no power to quell the insatiable appetite of young movie goers. A time where this trinity of subpar actors ruled the box offices with their muscles and gun toting charisma. Not that I was expecting J.C.V.D to be one of these films, but it is almost impossible not to be reminded of the better days of mindless entertainment when the film's title is the initials of the King of High Kicking, Jean Claude Van Damme. I was expecting something I have never seen before, something of a reinvention of an American, French, or more importantly, world icon. Which is exactly what I got.

J.C.V.D. is not a Jean Claude Van Damme movie whatsoever, no more than its namesake. There are no drawn out fight scenes, no car chases, and certainly no bad one-liners. Instead, the film is a hybrid, a meta-film, going beyond documentary, mocumentary, or full blown narrative. If I were to categorize it as anything, it would be a documentary of a mocumentary since it isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and does so on many occasions. The narrative is broken up, flipping back and forth if not only for the element of short lived mystery. It is not a character study since Van Damme is almost too well known for that, rather it is reenactment of his life dramatized for Hollywood. It doesn't matter if the story is true or not, the important thing is that Van Damme makes it real. Obviously drawing from his real life experiences, he pours his heart into his cinematic counterpart and proves to the world that he can flex his acting muscles just as well as he can flex his biceps, if not better now in his old age. Van Damme humanizes himself in a way that we have never seen. In a power and telling scene where Van Damme literally is lifted above the fourth wall, he explains to the camera his inglorious life and career, full or mistakes, drugs, and heartbreak. It brings a heart to those action films of yesteryear, of a past where things were simpler and a present where retrospection, as well as introspection, only leads to heartache.

This film speaks about the power of the celebrity and the quick to judge public. It brings to light the blood thirsty court system once it has a celebrity to make it famous. And it shows that not all of these superstars are the personalities we see on film. That they are normal people thrust into extraordinary situations with nothing to do but buckle under the pressure of the public. But beyond the serious nature of J.C.V.D. there are plenty of easter eggs to be found for those pure action fan boys. References to all of his previous work and signature high kicks are spread throughout the film that give it it's humor while the performances and solid writing attribute to many laughs as well.

The opening sequence of J.C.V.D. perfectly captures the message it is broadcasting to our time. It features an action sequence where Van Damme is out of breath and sloppily taking out soldiers while the stunt men and actors alike exhibit their heartless effort for a pay check in the film industry while the director throws darts at a picture of Hollywood. It lacks all the magic of his work while accentuating the cheesiness to a point where the fake film is a mirror image of the action industry today. And as Van Damme tries to catch his breath and lobby for a better film, he can only walk away in disgust of what his beloved career has become. J.C.V.D. is a film that knows what it is and what it is trying to say. Yet it somehow goes beyond that to become something more. It breaks down and then raises up one of the most famous action stars of all time only to show him in one of his best roles. Himself. It is not a tribute to those days gone by where I would rent six Van Damme movies and watch the rest of the afternoon away, it is more. It is a fun, funny, entertaining, and a damn good film. One thing is for sure, I will never look at Van Damme the same way again, and that is a great thing.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a certain icon and one of the most famous Belgians in the world - even non-admirers should acknowledge this... His start as actor was not very smooth as - for a long time - he seemed stiff and the plots he was engaged were trivial and resembling. But improvements took place and Van Damme became a versatile martial actor and, the older he got, the less influence was on kicking-fighting and more on empathy and protection of the weaker. All this is nicely depicted in the film in question, where he plays a fictionalized version of himself, a burn-out action star whose family and career are at stake as he is caught in the middle of a heist in his hometown of Brussels. In line with several fatal scenes, we can snigger over police bureaucracy, thickheaded loafers and people's attitudes towards famous persons.

Definitely one of the best performances by Van Damme - and different in many ways; by the way, Time magazine named his performance in the film the second best of the year.

There once was a naive young men from the slums of Brussels full of hope and passionate with love seeking his way in life and making his dreams come true by becoming a Hollywood movie star. Boy oh boy, did things turn out to be different from what he expected. After once being type-casted as a martial arts B-movie star, he became easily outdated and in time just food for ridicule. After being walked all over by numerous people he trusted, including the women he loved, and after allowing one of these women to get him introduced to an illegal and addictive substance, he continued to do downhill.

The rise from a simple Belgian boy to Hollywood movie star and the subsequent fall from grace turned the once naive young man into a wise old man. Having seen much of the world and lived both a life of poverty and pain as well as a life of luxury and hedonism, this man has seen it all and done it all. And now he's back with a vengeance.

Of course, the man I'm talking about is Jean-Claude van Damme. Disappointed about the rats and vultures that populate Hollywood, he decided to go back to his roots, pay respects to his homeland and hope he's still welcome there to attempt a new career in movies. And boy oh boy, his first attempt seems promising.

Jean-Claude van Damme showed the world he can actually act and he made sure that everyone watching this film understands why he was involved. His disgust towards the media and the Hollywood movie industry just radiate from this film, but not in arrogance but rather in all modesty and with regret, clinging on to the values and principles once taught to him by his parents and his Karate teacher when he was still a little boy living in Brussels. As a fellow Belgian, I pay respect to this man and hope his second movie career will be better than his first.

Bonne chance, Jean-Claude.

The idea of a (once) movie star offering himself up for mockery and self-deprecation is interesting on so many levels, especially when it's a story of said wash-out being swallowed up in a takeover incident. Give Van Damme credit for being a good sport for this. More importantly, he proves himself here as an actor. On that basis alone, "JCVD" deserves your attention.

That said, the movie eventually settles into a groove that becomes a rut. That bank scenes are never as good as the sweet opening action extravaganza, or the time-out Van Damme takes late in the game to address the audience. It's during these two scenes that the movie really hits those high notes. But then it's back to the grinding hostage stuff.

6/10

There's some word combinations that you simply can't envisage together. "Jean-Claude Van Damme can act" is one of them. Yet, remarkable as it may seem, the Muscles from Brussels turns in a truly career turning performance in JCVD.

Directed and co-written by Mabrouk El Mechri, JCVD manages to capably straddle art house, action and comedy genres as it captivates the viewer by laying bare the soul of the star of such DVD fare as Bloodsport, Streetfighter, and Universal Soldier, to name only a few.

Largely based on his real life troubles, JCVD unfolds as Van Damme retreats to his native Belgium in the wake of a losing child custody battle in a Los Angeles court.

Mounting financial troubles have left our hero with over-maxed plastic and debit cards that no longer yield ATM withdrawals. Forced to tap into his savings reserves, he makes a pit stop at a post office/bank to arrange a money wire transfer to pay his lawyer, only to discover that the bank is in the process of being robbed and he's stuck in the midst of the drama.

To make matters worse, the manner in which things have unfolded has caused authorities and media alike to believe that Van Damme is the mastermind, orchestrating the heist and hostage taking to pay his legal bills.

Segmented into chapters and shown out of sequence, similar to Pulp Fiction, El Mechri manages to deftly juggle laughs and tension to deliver a film that uniquely straddles several genres, including breaking the "fourth wall" with an eight-minute long monologue in the film's third act that sees the muscle-bound Belgian recap, with painful tear-inducing pain, his life of cheesy movies, women and drugs.

Think of Dog Day Afternoon in which Pacino gets to speak to the audience and lay his soul bare and you've got an idea of what's in store with JCVD, which, if there's any justice, will do for Van Damme's career what Tarantino did for Travolta's. Especially now that we know JCVD can act.

"He'd still be shooting pigeons in Hong Kong," says one of the players In JCVD about director John Woo's debt to action star Jean-Claude Van Damme for their 1993 collaboration, Hard Target. Making that film may have been JCVD's greatest contribution to modern cinema although the current film with his initials in the title is more interesting than any previous kick-butt martial arts flick of his I can remember.

The story's framing device is Van Damme's fictional character of the same name unwittingly becoming a hostage in a bank robbery where his inability to extricate himself and the other hostages is a commentary on the impotence in real life of the mythical hero on the screen. The gritty, de-saturated look inside and outside the bank reminds me of the urban realism of Sidney Lumet's bank-heist Dog Day Afternoon. There's even a stringy-haired thug, but Van Damme is no Dustin Hoffman.

In this satire of his mercurial career as an action star, Van Damme ironically manages a mini-Mickey Rourke comeback by expressing feelings for his daughter and for the lost glamorous life of the Muscles from Brussels. His taciturn, expressionless persona is exactly what the satire needs to move it from a comedy about celebrity to a serious attempt to throw his identity into the existential arena. Indeed one long take in which he tearfully philosophizes about his troubled life is either ludicrous or a rather nice reflection on the vagaries of fame, albeit low rent. The other long take during the titles shows the aging hero fighting his way through a gauntlet of bad guys in a current movie. It's not bad given how bad Stallone could be in the same situation.

Van Damme has had real-life difficulties getting custody of his daughter and righting his tax problems, so JCVD is an apt imagining of his troubles. At some moments he does quite well taking his acting where it has never gone before. That he recently lost a role to Stephen Seagal, who agreed to cut his pony tail for the part, is less an indictment of Jean-Claude than it is a commentary on the vagaries of showbiz heroism.

"Sic transit gloria mundi."

Quite enjoyed the way the story was told from different view points and in backward and forward order. Very artfully done with a lot of humour.

I just saw this movie at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montréal (Canada), and allow me to tell you that it's a must see film for everyone. I'm a big Van Damme fan and I have all the films he ever made so I'm gonna concentrate my comment around Van Damme. The first thing I'll say is that this movie is his best and possibly one of the best movies of the year. Going to the theatre, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece, after all it's Jean Claude Van Damme and you see his movies for the action and his high kicks not for his acting. But the director made all the difference in Jean Claude's performance. The concept itself helps a lot. Van Damme is playing himself, so he's not playing one of his stereotyped roles. Furthermore, him speaking in his native language made a huge impact on his performance. He's more natural and more authentic which made him more credible. Compared to all other movies he appeared in, this is a revelation. The comedic tone of the movie is also something to be noted. The jokes are well done but what makes the difference is the jokes focused on Van Damme. The reference to his roundhouse kicks are just hilarious. Two moments especially shine in this regard. The first one is the demonstration in the post office and the second one happens towards the end of the film. You just can't miss them and they have that good old classic Van Damage feel to them. Also worth mentioning are his personal goofy quotes in french. The one when he's interviewed by a french journalist who asks him about the total of 1+1 will leave you breathless. Not to mention the courthouse sequence which was so funny. But the best moment of the movie remains his monologue to the camera. For five minutes, or so, he goes back to his life. He talks about how he believed in the American dream, his drug and marriage problems, how Hollywood screwed him up ,how he wants so bad to be granted a second chance etc. It's a classic cinema moment in all senses. It felt more a confession than anything else. It was moving and genuine and you can feel the human being behind The Muscles from Brussels image. The other thing to be noted is the long shot at the beginning of the movie. It was hilarious and it summarizes in a sense all of Van Damme's career: Gunfights, high kicks, goofy acting you name them. In the end, the direction of the film really sets it apart from any other Van Damme's movies. The director knew how to get the best of Van Damme and put together a film that felt genuine and true. However, some questions remain. What's Van Damme going to do from now on? Will he be recognized as an accomplished actor? Will he get scripts that show him more as a human being rather than a bulk of muscles? Will he be making more European films rather than keep on making straight to DVD films? I can't say, but one thing remains for certain: JCVD is the rebirth of JCVD.

I have to be careful here. I have to be careful because if you drink vinegar with every meal for several years then have a really cheap wine one day, it will taste glorious by comparison and you risk praising something cheap just because it is so much better than what has come before it. Those who have watched some of Van Damme's output over the last few years will know what I mean and, for those that do not I would say that a mere 30 minutes of "Second-in-Command" will tell you all you need to know. However at the same time I must not be careful to the point that I do not admit that I found this film fascinating, engaging, thrilling and creative – words that rarely appear individually anymore in reviews of a Van Damme film, let alone appearing together in one, but all of which apply here.

I temper this by saying that here and there JCVD is very close to being self-indulgent and artsy for artsy's sake and I can totally understand why many people will dislike this film. For those that look to him for action and see "plot" as being nothing more than the thing you have to have to create the action this film may disappoint as it is not his usual action-drama stuff. Whereas on the other side those that may appreciate what this film does may have decided decades ago that anything with Van Damme involved is not their sort of thing. For me though this film is worth approaching just to see what it does because, for its weaknesses it is still a great film. Why? Well it is down to what the film is. Years ago I saw Deconstructing Harry and was amazed at how folded in it was, how introspective and full of self-loathing and self-awareness: JCVD didn't quite do the same job for me but it is certainly doing the same sort of thing. The film is presented as real, with Van Damme playing himself. We see him in this "real" world making films like he has recently (Oriental director, low budget, low effort) but mainly it is played for "real", only to then at one point have Van Damme literally rise out of this "real" world into another, realer world and talk to the audience. This is one example but it is a good one of what the film is like as it gives Van Damme the chance to be honest and personal within this "reality".

At times this is funny and I particularly enjoyed the discussions on John Woo, the attitude of the "director" at the start of the film and the references to Seagal. More often it is actually quite hard to watch as Van Damme allows the film to put a lot of criticism at his feet and in his mouth. He acknowledges the standard of his recent films, his very public personal problems, his failings as a person and he allows himself to be mocked in the film in the way he is in real life – because the film is set in this real world. I know action heads may not agree but to me this brutality was more gripping than many of his action scenes – I sat very still the whole time, like if I moved I would disturb the film, break the spell and Van Damme would sober up, put up the defences and suddenly I would be back in the cheap action movie he is filming at the start of this film. But it doesn't, it carries on till the end and I loved it. Not all of it makes sense and I didn't get what it was doing/saying at each point but it was still really engaging.

What also surprised me was that the situation in the post office gripped me as well, even after it allowed Van Damme to exit it as a film! I would have expected it to be not real in my head but it was still surprisingly exciting. Credit to the El Mechri because the film is visually really clever and it matches the material, complimenting it. There are loads of clever shots, long takes, good music selection and so on. I do not know what else they have made but I will be making an effort to check out something else on the basis of this. Van Damme himself gives a really good performance – and not just by his standards. His monologue is what sticks in the memory but he does good work throughout it and I can believe it must be a very personal film to him because he seems totally sold into it and emotionally I felt for him and was held by a man reflecting and not liking all he found. The rest of the cast do well around him but the film belongs to Van Damme almost the entire time. Damiens, the main villain and a few others all give good support and there is a brief cameo from Vincent Cassell at the start.

The film will not please action fans and it also risks being taken as being too deliberately arty and introspective (or "up itself") by those coming to it for what it is. For me though I found it fascinating – a frank delivery of Van Damme as a man set within a fictional plot that actually works with a great performance from the man himself, all pulled together with a creative eye from director, cinematographer and editor that compliments the script throughout. It is not perfect and at times I wasn't sure what to make of it but it was engaging, clever and gripping in regards both tension and what it was doing generally. What he follows this with is anyone's guess but if I could only ever watch one Van Damme film again in my life, it would be this one by a country mile.

A Jean-Claude Van Damme movie unlike any of his other films. In JCVD he plays a version of himself that is human and even vulnerable.The reason this film stumbles, however, is because of a young director who was trying to make it too "artsy." It would have played out much better straightforward, in my opinion.

'JCVD (2008)' is a bit of an odd beast, similar to - but not the same as - the more recent 'Jean-Claude Van Johnson (2016)'. Van Damme plays a version of himself that doesn't seem too far from the truth, while the movie itself makes a point of being both absurdly funny and calmly tragic. This is, in a way, both its strength and its weakness. At times, it feels unique and, almost, poignant but it never gets a grip on its tone, flitting from daft to dark fairly frequently. It seems like a deeply personal piece for its star, to the point that I'm surprised it didn't originate with him. One part that did, from what I can tell, is the late-game monologue, in which 'JC' rises above the 'stage' to deliver a raw, impressively-acted six-minute speech directly down the barrel of the lens. What this achieves isn't quite clear, though it's easily the most moving moment of the movie. The film-making itself is fairly standard 'digital realism' stuff. Its cinematography is strange, however, as it's often over-exposed and oddly green, which clashes with the otherwise naturalistic aesthetic. While its chronology is never exactly detrimental, it does occasionally distract from the experience as you're not exactly sure when certain scenes are supposed to take place. This becomes clear quite quickly, though, and the benefits of its non-linear structure just about outweigh the negatives. Also, the opening scene does a good job of easing you into world and, for as tumultuous as it is, tone of the flick. Generally, this is an entertaining time. It's not quite cohesive but at least it's trying something. Just make sure you get hold of the subtitled version. 6/10

The story, I wont tell, you know it. So, no spoilers ! The "Van Damme" = this is what i'm gonna review. Van Damme got mature. Van Damme has stories in his eyes. Van Damme has life in his eyes. Van Damme has sadness in his eyes. Van Damme has regrets in his eyes. Van Damme has stuff to say to the world, to his audience. Van Damme have a message to deliver. He does in JCVD.

In JCVD, we see for the first time Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, the man, amazing ! Not the character, the real man ! You can feel it from the screen. wow, very cool feeling I had.

The context of the film help Van Damme for telling the truth about his bad moments in life/career and conclude them. This movie close the bad Van Damme, it is a reborn. A therapy film for Van Varenberg.

The jokes (humor) is very well done, van damme can be very funny in his language. The action scenes are "real style" shouted. I liked it a lot. Good kicks in this film, few, but good, so powerful, the sound effects are awesome.

The monologue is astonishing, so Oscar winning performance ! Van Damme has secret about his daughter Bianca, stories....it is not easy to be a father (as an action figure) for a daughter. The relation between a daughter watching her "normal" dad in his Hollywood life/career is not easy.

Van Damme is really back on track.

JCVD The Movie : 10/10 Jean-Claude Van Varenberg, the most human-actor in Hollywood. 10/10

I could also say hallucinating or stunning rhythm. The leading character is performed by Jean-Claude Van Damme a Belgian actor and karate champion in a movie where he represents himself in a fiction plot (supposedly autobiographic?) that involves a post office bank assault with hostage retention where he gets caught on while trying to raise money. The whole movie is shot on that place and outside around it with the usual police attempt to negotiate with the sequestrator before stormimg the place. It results from a mistake that Van Damme is supposed to be the assaulter and sequestrator by the police and the public outside. Rapid images and scenes go on and on sometimes at a confusing rhythm till the end. At a certain point the movie includes a monologue of several minutes by Van Damme about his life and disappointments. He was also trying hard to keep his daughter's custody from his ex-wife but he was not succeeding at that. This movie is half funny half dramatic and is only worth for what you see while you keep watching it, I mean no message and no special meaning.

I saw it.

I will be quick 'cause I'm so tired (1 am here) but I know that my dreams will be funky...because the film is funky. I was at the avant-premiere tonight in Paris where Jean-Claude and the team introduced the film to the crowd. He was very cool and fun.

The film ? Simply hot (not that hot), funny and touching. And I cried, yes really, like a sissy girl, I cried during his long speech (you will understand when you will see the film, but JC summarizes his life and it's a magic moment). I don't want to spoil the film, but to me it's great one in his career, very mature, well written, many private jokes for us, well directed, well played (Jean-Claude is simply awesome like you never saw him before), many many fresh things, scenes, and moments. It's a heist film, maybe a small heist but a big film who swims on Dog day afternoon, Clerks and Rashomon, Tarantino mood with flash-backs, flash-forwards (the editing is hot), a very nice sound track (very Enter the dragon's Lalo Schrifrin)....

I didn't like Fellows films, The HardCorps, The Shepherd, but I LOVE his last film, so fresh, I love JCVD the movie.

I want to see it again this week-end. Mabrouk, JC, thank you...

First, there's Jean Claude Van Damme the star and then there's Jean Claude Van Damme the man. Or should I say there's Jean Claude Varenberg? How you separate the two is perhaps a little fuzzy and to some extent that is what "JCVD" strives to accomplish. Another vehicle for the Belgian muscles from Brussels whose career up till now has been anything less than substandard. At one time it looked like Van Damme might have had a glittering career as an up-and-coming action man. But there was a problem. He couldn't act to save himself. Which movies like his one-hit movie "Universal Soldier" attested to. Now relegated to the Direct, to DVD bargain basement It would be safe to say that Van Damme is in a hole. One that he's likely never to crawl out of. Helmed by Mabrouk El Mechri and filmed predominately in Brussels which is JCVD's hometown. Our protagonist plays a fictionalized version of himself. Washed up and losing out film roles in uninspired action flicks to fellow past his sale-by-date action man Steven Seagal. He also has to contend with a messy custody battle following on from a lousy divorce from his ex-wife. And to add insult to injury his own daughter who never the less loves him doesn't want to be anywhere near him. This is because she is teased by other children at her school as a result of who her father is.

So when in Brussels and he receives a call from his lawyer that he needs to pay or he will be forced to drop the case. The harassed JCVD who has also had to contend with an obnoxious agent and a host of equally obnoxious and irritating fans drops by his local post office in a desperate need to pick up some much-needed cash from his own savings account. That would be simple enough you would think would it not be for the fact that a gang of crooks have already taken over the building in a clumsily thought-out robbery and are currently holding everyone hostage, and when news reaches the authorities It's the Muscles from Brussels who becomes their prime suspect.

Although not entirely original(think "Being John Malkovich" meets "Dog Day Afternoon" and Its storytelling method is heavily Tarintinoesque. This is a Direct to DVD feature which while not the greatest and most innovative movie to have hit movie shop shelves. Its never less a refreshing change of pace for Van Damme. For once in his rather battered career, he actually gets to sink his teeth into a role that allows him to show up till now some hidden depths as an actor. I'm not suggesting for one minute that he is a unique talent. His performance although not bad Isn't the very best I've seen. Yet he brings in as unseen untapped emotions which I have to confess are rather welcome.

However, be warned. If you're expecting an action film then you might be left disappointed. "JCVD" is anything but. Even though the DVD, cover suggests otherwise which could be due to an underhanded marketing ploy. It doesn't detract from the fact that this is an intriguing melding of hostage thriller and intense character study. Ably supported by a cast of actors who lend the backdrop and the story the gravitas and the humor it so sorely needs although the whole Bank robbery scenario is one that has been done time and time again. There are moments when the whole premise seems to think It's more clever and original than it really is. It would be easy to not blame El Mechri for this as he's merely the Director were it not for the fact that he also co-wrote the screenplay. Largely then the buck has to stop with him. While the movie also looks great and the acting is first-rate from the cast the direction which for the most part is sound. Can't quite compensate for the moments when the tension sags. And while this is mainly a character piece it couldn't have hurt for the bar to have been lifted slightly. Where Mechri does score points is allows us to feel some sympathy not only for Van Damme who halfway through the movie delivers a surprisingly powerful, understated, and eloquent monologue to the screen. But also for the fellow hostages while also allowing time to develop the characters of the villainous robbers. Helped by the fact that each actor doesn't give one-note performances.

The Tarintino-inspired style in which the movie's tale is told can maybe be a little confusing if you don't give it quite the focus it requires and may be slightly rough around the edges. But for the most part, it works. Which in the end brings it to a fairly swift and may I say surprising conclusion. It's not a conclusion that will necessarily please every viewer but It's an interesting and satisfactory one and allows JCVD's personae to at least be "human" and not the on-screen heroic white knight. Which is nicely contrasted in a nicely placed scenario close to the movie's denouement. Where one tense moment involving the police, JCVD, and a criminal is acted out with varying degrees in how the same outcome is achieved.

I'm dubious as to whether "JCVD" will mark a crossroads in Van Damme's already beleaguered career as an action film star. He is pushing fifty after all and if relatively more successful action stars such as Schwarzenegger and Stallone are anything to go by. Age sadly can be quite cruel and rob what once was a glittering standing in Hollywood. So with that in mind It's unlikely that Van Damme will rise up from the doldrums. But at least he may be able to look back at his life in film and say to himself. "I did something right after all".

I have enjoyed lots of Jean Claude van Damme's films and have many, if not most, on VHS or DVD. Not all are classics but, of their genre and by and large, the best are very enjoyable and the few poorer ones whiled away a lazy hour or so.

Not so JCvD, I'm afraid. I found it desperately boring and self-indulgent. It strove, I suppose, to be a reflection of where his life has taken him and to be, perhaps, more cerebral than most of his offerings - but it was really dull.

I would guess that the film might appeal to those who are out and out fans of the actor himself - and thus interested in every detail of his life. For those looking for entertainment, however, this is one to miss.

Some friends recommended this because of the enfolded reality and story.

Jean Claude, an actor in the film, plays himself as an actor between films who gets entangled in a "Dog Day Afternoon" movie-like robbery. If there was charm in this construction, it would have had to come from the actor himself. It doesn't.

Its actually quite a mess, with some internally cinematic references, some talk about movies, and a frenzied scene at the beginning where we see JCVD in an action sequence in a movie within. Two of the thieves play roles to each other.

None of this is integrated, or even in the same world.

Oddly, we know this guy can do something along these lines successfully, "Replicant," "Maximum Risk," and The Order."

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.