WATCH THE VERY FUNNY TEASER (THAT'S NOT IN THE FILM) HERE
Jean Claude Van Damme has made a real film.
It isn’t a joke, or a broad comedy, nor is it a goofy story about a clueless celebrity dealing with the real world. JVCD is a solid piece of, get this, serious film making. It’s entertaining, has an involving narrative and it treats its characters with respect. You'll actually begin to care. No, I never would have ever expected this either. Ever.
Jean Claude Van Damme stars as…himself…a c-list movie star who’s hit rock bottom. He’s lost his daughter in a custody case, he can only get jobs working on crappy Bulgaria set action films and he’s completely out of funds to pay his lawyer. There’s no way to spin-kick his way out of this one. In desperation he returns to hometown Brussels, goes to a bank to get some funds and accidentally finds himself caught up in the middle of a bank robbery. The banks robbers decide hold him hostage with the other employees and before you can say “Do the splits!” the entire world thinks that JCVD is mastermind behind the crime! It’s a goofy premise that is a perfect jumping point to comment on the realities of fame and the public’s perception of a celebrity.
It could be nothing more than an optical illusion/mass hallucination but there’s one thing I realized as I stepped out of the theater: The Muscle from Brussels can act. And this isn’t glamour acting either. Every moment the man is on screen you buy that he’s a burnt out husk that just wants to give up and live a regular life. The film constantly reminds us of the high cost of fame and Jean’s tired wrinkled face is the depressing result. But even with a solid lead performance (which was said to be mostly improvised) the whole thing could have burned up in puff self indulgence shame if it wasn’t for the work of Director/Writer Mabrouk El Mechri. He gives the film more class then it rightly deserves and he perfectly balances his use on over- exposed imagery, stylish long takes, and tonal shifts that are so effortless that the depressing finale actually feels organic to everything that has come before. The only thing that bothered me was a lack of focus in the first act. We’re shown the robbery’s set up from a few different perspectives and the lack of Van Dammag’s prencese is felt the entire time. Characters are introduced and then cease serving any real purpose within the film. You can feel the editor’s scissors trimming and pruning.
This is not, I repeat, not a broad comedy film. It has jokes to be sure, but it never gives you the easy out. *SPOILER* There’s no easy climax were Jean Claude opens a can of whup-ass on the baddies. It would be impossible. The situation may be highly fictional and ripe for a rock’em sock’em (but in no ways surprising) but they never succumb to the temptation. Real life just doesn’t work that way.
Take for example the one thing everyone’s talking about: The moment were Jean Claude stops the action, breaks the fourth wall and addressees the audience for whopping seven minutes take. That sounds like an abosolute crazy thing to do.
Yet, it works.
The man gives it his all: He sums up his faults, he questions his life decisions and most surprisingly, he cries. You’d think something like that would have the audience in nervous guffaws, but then you’d be wrong, because everyone bought it hook, line and sinker. I never thought I’d say this in my entire life, but you must see a film starring the man who traded quips with a green haired Dennis Rodman for an hour and a half. JCVD is really that good.
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