Today’s quick review: JCVD. After losing his daughter and most of his savings in a heated custody battle, action star Jean-Claude Van Damme (Jean-Clause van Damme) returns to his home in Brussels to make a fresh start. But no sooner has he arrived than he gets caught in the middle of a bank robbery. With the police convinced that he’s a robber rather than a hostage, Jean-Claude must think fast to resolve the situation without getting arrested or shot.
JCVD is a crime drama with comedy elements. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a fictionalized version of himself who becomes the public face of a robbery in progress. JCVD delves into the highs and lows of Van Damme’s life as a movie star, from his international fame to his struggle to finds new projects to the toll his career has taken on his personal life. JCVD is a surprisingly heartfelt movie that balances a hostage crisis with real introspection.
JCVD handles its quirky premise with unusual tact. Van Damme makes for a nuanced character, an ordinary man still learning to handle his stardom several decades into his career. His attempts to keep the hostage situation under control give the movie a ready source of tension, while his interactions with his fans keep the tone from getting too bleak. The movie is topped off with a few artistic moments that give the audience a glimpse inside his head.
JCVD is an interesting pick for action fans looking for a different perspective on one of the stars of the genre. JCVD is not as action-packed as most of Van Damme’s other work, but its sincerity—albeit within the framework of a fictional story—gives it a different sort of appeal. Not everyone will find it to be as meaningful as it tries to be, but those willing to give JCVD a chance will find that it handles its story with quite a bit of skill.
For a psychedelic trip into the mind of a struggling actor, try Birdman. For another hostage standoff that takes a sympathetic turn, try Dog Day Afternoon or Mad City.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for an original premise and a handful of genuinely moving moments.