Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in this part-spoof/part-action drama, which finds the action star at a low point in his career.  He’s virtually broke.  He’s just lost custody of his daughter, and there are no meaningful film offers on the horizon.

Returning to his home in Brussels, Van Damme finds himself smack in the middle of a bank heist, complete with hostages.  Even worse, the cops think that he’s the bank robber.

CRITIQUE

One has to admire Van Damme’s courage in making this movie, particularly since he is playing himself.  Not only does he spoof the inane films that he’s made, but he also lays bare his inner anguish about the downturn of both his career and personal life.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the movie is that it gives Van Damme the opportunity to show that he is a very capable actor with a depth of emotion that we have never seen before.

The picture opens with a long tracking shot, as Van Damme (in a movie-within-a-movie) shoots, stabs, kicks and punches-out dozens of bad guys, an over-the-top parody of his past pictures.

With personal and financial problems plaguing him, Van Damme returns to his hometown in Brussels where he is a considered to be a national hero.  It’s his plan to rest there and reconsider his life options.  However, when he gets caught up in the bank robbery, everything changes…including the structure of the film, which now moves back-and-forth in time with changing viewpoints, and also invades the mind of the action star.

In one lengthy single-take sequence, Van Damme delivers an inner monologue directly to the camera, ruminating about the missteps that he has taken in his life.  On the one hand, this speech stops the forward movement of the story, but on the other, it is a very touching and revealing scene that most actors might be hesitant to undertake.  Bravo, Jean-Claude!

The bank-robbery/hostage plot is certainly suspenseful, but it’s very much like similar scenes that we watch on episodic television almost every week.  What does make it unique is the fact that Van Damme, the person, is not Van Damme, the action star.  He’s a victim just like everybody else in the bank, and he does not really save the day.

I’m not going to be a spoiler, but I don’t really agree with the filmmakers’ story choices after the bank robbery situation is resolved.

THE VIDEO

The widescreen picture has a gritty look to it, which is, presumably, what the filmmakers intended.

THE AUDIO

The 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound is acceptable, though it is sometimes difficult to understand bits of dialogue.

EXTRAS

The main bonus material is a selection of Deleted/Alternate Scenes.

As usual, you can view the film’s Theatrical Trailer.

For those with portable media devices, a Digital Copy of the film is included with the disc.

Finally, the DVD also offers both French & English versions of the film.

FINAL THOUGHT

JCVD is an entertaining part-spoof/part drama about the life and inner-anguish of action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme.  It’s worth a look.