Review of JCVD (2008) by Paulo G — 15 Aug 2009

Van Damme's back, but this time, it's for real.... (This is not a tag line for the movie.).

Here, we have a surprise, and I'm sure all the good reviews everywhere around the world feel the same. JCVD trashes his career, his personal life, his martial arts skills, his financial stability.... Van Damme plays himself, trapped in a misunderstood hostage crisis, during which we get such a merciless scrutiny of his life. As a "Dog Day Afternoon-like"movie, it work well and it almost endearingly salvages him.

Van Damme obviously was a good sport to make this movie, he says worse things about himself than the worst of his critics, and the effect is shockingly truthful. I sorta enjoyed myself watching him give these pieces of himself to the audience. In one scene, the camera, along with Van Damme, rise up above the viewing field, high up amongst the lighting, and rigging, to deliver a monologue, on what Van Damme says is his sad life (living as a movie star, the life of drugs, the struggle back from it all. Directly to the screen.

He deserves credit for his willingness to play himself, and also for coming clean with himself and the audience. A smart concept and playful humor, but some shots go on long and seem sluggish at times, so does the story, though it ends as I guess it needs to.

Van Damme does more with this effort, than anything I've ever seen from him, and I'm a big fan. He might not be considered as an actor who can play in a serious drama, but he gave us his big heart here.