JCVD - The Movie
I don't know which is the bigger shocker: Jean Claude Van Damme pulling off a late night cult movie - playing himself - or that the UK distributor, Revolver, failed to capitalise and give this terrific movie the theatrical release it deserves?
It doesn’t really matter. The fans will discover JCVD for themselves, if not on the big screen then on DVD – which is home away from home to the “muscles from Brussels” anyway.
In a performance as sympathetic and engaging as Mickey Rourke’s in The Wrestler, Van Damme plays Van Damme, a hero on the streets of his hometown in Belgium, where he’s visiting his parents, but also an aging action star whose career seems headed for a black hole. He can barely keep up his alimony and child support payments. Even the taxi driver on the way in from the airport gives him a tongue-lashing.
Cast details
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Jean-Claude Van Damme
Born: 18 Oct 1960
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, BelgiumTop rated films View all Bloodsport (1987) 
Kickboxer (1989)
Still, things can get always get worse. By pure coincidence, Van Damme goes into a small bank at the very moment it’s being help up by armed robbers. He’s taken hostage along with the staff and a couple of customers. Outside, though, the media and the cops jump to the conclusion that he is one of the hold-up gang. The crooks have their own problems – one of them is a blood-thirsty sociopath; another is a Jean Claude fan, and even asks for his autograph – but whatever way you look at it the actor is in a pickle.
JCVD: Jean-Claude Van Damme
This isn’t your typical Van Damme movie, that’s for sure. It’s not a glossy Hollywood movie either. I imagine cowriter-director Mabrouk El Mechri will end up there soon, but for now he’s working with limited resources (and a not so hot cinematographer), and making a virtue out of necessity. He shows what he can do in the opening scene, a virtuoso long take traveling shot with Van Damme on the rampage. It’s just a little off ¬ the blocking is slightly clumsy; a prop wall shakes. But all that turns out to be intentional, simultaneously a piss-take of the kind of cheapjack action movie Van Damme has been reduced to, and of a certain kind of over-eager film school graduate director, much like El Mechri, I’m sure.
The structure teases out the incident from four or five different perspective with Tarantino cleverness. It’s all very contrived of course, but the overt ingenuity is part of the package. It’s a movie that winks at us – and then (who would have thunk it?) bares its heart.
I don’t want to spoil it – and I’m not talking about plot details here – but there is a scene so wild and unexpected and outrageous, but also so exposed and honest and true, it’s absolutely breathtaking.
For five or six minutes Jean Claude opens up to the camera and puts us in his head. It’s a brilliant monologue, and it will change the way you think about Van Damme for ever, as an actor and as a man. How much of it is autobiographical, and how much is scripted I don’t know for sure, but boy, does he nail it!
On a personal note, I interviewed Jean Claude once, back in the late 80s. He was candid and unpretentious, but slipped a little easily into Hollywoodese. What I remember most is his obvious enthusiasm for movies. Not just his, but movies generally. He raved about King of New York, and how happy he was that Christopher Walken had found such a great vehicle… Raved like a fan. That was touching and it stayed with me.
I have to say I’ve been more than happy to avoid most of JCVD’s movies over the last two decades, but happier still to report that he has found a film as good as this one, and that he’s the best thing in it. How strange that the role he was looking for should turn out to be playing himself. Funnily enough, according to The Internet Movie Database, the original Francophone title in his place of birth is Le Roi des Belges: “The King of Belgium”.
Reviews
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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51 out of 68 people found this review helpful
jcvd
didnt even bother watching this film as it was all subtitles got to be his worst film ever
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37 out of 37 people found this review helpful
JCVD
Van Damme proves hes like a fine wine...getting better with age as in his film 'in hell' his stand as a serious actor has to be recognised, and i forgive you for all those awful movies in the past, JCVD is great and so is JCVD's acting in it.!
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17 out of 17 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Disappointing
Being a fan of Van Damme's and having read some of the hype surrounding the film I was looking forward to something special but I came away disappointed.
I was aware that this would be much less an action vehicle and more a dialogue heavy chance for the man to show his acting skills but it doesn't really work.
The plot is jumbled and clumsy and doesn't really grip in any way and we know nothing of the motivations of the characters other than JC.
Jean-Claude does diplay some admirable acting skills however. Playing himself as washed up,desperate and in an exhausing custody battle. In one scene in particular he lays himself bare in a monalogue/mental breakdown to the camera but even this was muddled and didn't really move me like i think it should.
I really wanted this to work. It feels like a bit of a tribute from the director and an attempt to give Van Damme a relaunch al la Pulp Fiction but just ends up being a bit rubbish.
Jean-Claude was something of a hero to me in my teens. Despite starring in some terrible films and struggling with the english language he had an incredible athleticism that was awe-inspiring to watch and a real charisma as an action-hero and was responsible for many a failed attempt to do the splits on my part.
I always thought that, if given the chance and the right director, he could make a superb action film.
Don't listen to other pathetic reviews on here about the film being subtitled. The man is from Belgium! Let him do a film in his own language and he might have chance to express something more of himself.
This is an admirable attempt and hopefully the start of something better for JCVD. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
JCVD
Impressively shot meta heist movie with a surprisingly touching central performance from Jean-Claude Van Damme. It felt like it was set in real life with 'movie life' pushing itself into reality.
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- standardman from Littleborough
- Posted 25 Aug 2009 18:38
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
The Muscles From Brussels Is Flexing His Acting Muscle
JCVD is Europe’s answer to The Wrestler. If you’re looking for Van Dam’s usually beat ‘em up action, and wooden screen presence, then you’ll be sorely disappointed. Shot entirely in French, with English subtitles, this film shows JCVD play a pseudo-Van Damn who has passed his hay-day and is wondering if he ever actually accomplished anything with his life. It’s refreshing to see a big name set themselves up without the trademark “look at us mocking ourselves aren’t we great” expression plastered over their pampered faces. The movie has a ring of honesty to it that most crave. One of the movies of the year.
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51 out of 68 people found this review helpful
jcvd
didnt even bother watching this film as it was all subtitles got to be his worst film ever
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37 out of 37 people found this review helpful
JCVD
Van Damme proves hes like a fine wine...getting better with age as in his film 'in hell' his stand as a serious actor has to be recognised, and i forgive you for all those awful movies in the past, JCVD is great and so is JCVD's acting in it.!
-
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Disappointing
Being a fan of Van Damme's and having read some of the hype surrounding the film I was looking forward to something special but I came away disappointed.
I was aware that this would be much less an action vehicle and more a dialogue heavy chance for the man to show his acting skills but it doesn't really work.
The plot is jumbled and clumsy and doesn't really grip in any way and we know nothing of the motivations of the characters other than JC.
Jean-Claude does diplay some admirable acting skills however. Playing himself as washed up,desperate and in an exhausing custody battle. In one scene in particular he lays himself bare in a monalogue/mental breakdown to the camera but even this was muddled and didn't really move me like i think it should.
I really wanted this to work. It feels like a bit of a tribute from the director and an attempt to give Van Damme a relaunch al la Pulp Fiction but just ends up being a bit rubbish.
Jean-Claude was something of a hero to me in my teens. Despite starring in some terrible films and struggling with the english language he had an incredible athleticism that was awe-inspiring to watch and a real charisma as an action-hero and was responsible for many a failed attempt to do the splits on my part.
I always thought that, if given the chance and the right director, he could make a superb action film.
Don't listen to other pathetic reviews on here about the film being subtitled. The man is from Belgium! Let him do a film in his own language and he might have chance to express something more of himself.
This is an admirable attempt and hopefully the start of something better for JCVD. -
17 out of 19 people found this review helpful
JCVD
Turned it off after 15-25 minutes; mainly subtitled due to the dialog being in French. I just havn't the patience to read subtitles through a film like this!!
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19 out of 29 people found this review helpful
Damme Shame
Why couldn't some genious dubbed the film in english, sorry Jean my Girlfriend made me turn you off, very bored with all the frenchness action.
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- chefmat from Colchester
- Posted 26 Mar 2009 01:54
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18 out of 26 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
What A Waste, Damme BAD
Hugely disappointed, first gripe is why oh why was this just a subtitled movie, would have been better dubbed in English, van Damme can speak very good English.
I stopped watching after 15 mins, I hate subtitled movies, what more can I say.
I am afraid that Mr Van Damme is going the way of other past stars, Steven Segal, Chuck Norris etc. just making movies for movies sake and just wasting countless millions of pounds bringing truly awful films, why can't these people just retire with dignity I am sure they have made enough money out of their success, if not then they had the chance when times were good.
Just stop producing garbage, it is unfair on everyone. -
16 out of 19 people found this review helpful
JCVD
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12 out of 12 people found this review helpful
JCVD
ONE OF THE WORSE FILMS I HAVE SEEN, SUBTITLES , BORING TURNED OFF 20MINS INTO FILM?????????????????????/
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11 out of 15 people found this review helpful
Pretty Poor!
This movie is RUBBISH basically! Pretentious rubbish at that. Laughable story if one could call it that, dreadful very poor action scenes. Probably Van Damme's best performance especially part where he just talks to camera, but so what that isn't saying much. It is different than other Van Damme films for sure, and his performance is better but this is a very poor film - if a complete unknown in movie exactly the same it would have been rightly laughed at. You want a good entertaining film on any level, or a good action movie DON'T RENT! you want to see dull film with Van Damme acting a bit or have seen all his other films then rent it. Credit to Van Damme he is at least attempting to make quality movies - not rushing out complete crap like Seagal is.
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8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
JCVD
Utter rubish,boring and amateur'ish,how demeaning for van-damme to be in such a film, he should have quit while he was ahead.