Review of JCVD (2008) by Michael W — 06 Aug 2009

I don't know if I'm being too kind or not kind enough in giving this four stars. Truly unique, and absolutely necessary if you've ever even guiltily watched a Van Damme picture on a Sunday afternoon.

An unlikely action picture, a surreal meditation on the absurdity of celebrity, an illustration of how action stars are both helped and hobbled by the physical abilities they bring to the table (to say nothing of language barriers and outsized physiques) .

. . This movie has more under its coat than it has any right to carry. Strange, sweet, sad, and funny. And (gulp) Van Damme himself turns in a remarkable performance (and is aging rather prettily).