Review of JCVD (2008) by Hoops2448 — 16 Jul 2012

JCVD is not just a bizarre film chronicling Jean Claude Van Damme's fall from celebrity and to a certain extent, grace, but it is a film that cleverly mounts the boundary between tense thriller (something Van Damme is familiar with) and satirical comedy.

The film follows Van Damme as he travels to Belgium to visit his parents following a nasty custody battle regarding his daughter. One morning he decides to transfer some money at the local post office unaware that the place is being robbed by three menacing but inept robbers.

The film is both knowledgeable of Van Damme's career and reputation but also his ability as an actor. The film is surprising in the fact that it is utterly ludicrous but it is grounded by a powerful central performance by JCVD (That is something I never thought I would write).

The film manages to balance the need for thrills and the need for comedy while also injecting some deep emotion into the movie. The film, due to the subject matter, is inherently dark but it is populated by characters who are good even if they do bad things.

This provides an interesting view of morality in the film. Finally the films end allows for both the stereotypical Van Damme take down but also the ending that is grounded in reality, the one where things aren't perfect and Van Damme is still a thing of the past.

I for one have found a kind of respect for the Muscles from Brussels through his powerful performance of a man extremely broken but constantly trying to do the right thing, even if at times he doesn't quite know what that entails.