JCVD (2008) 4.5/5 -
TRAILER Look, I’ll just come out with it right away because I know some of you probably already get it... I’m a total Van Damme fan. I grew up on his movies, loved them as a kid, and honestly, I haven't outgrown them one bit—just like the "Goonies," "Conan," "Flash Gordon," and all those other flicks from my childhood. I've always felt he was underrated, both as an action icon and an actor, especially compared to the big names everyone hypes up like Stallone, Willis, or Schwarzenegger. In my book, his movie quality held its own against theirs, and he definitely had more acting ambition (and looked better than most, excluding Stallone). This movie proves it, too; it won over the critics and even a good chunk of the general public who usually can't stand him. I'll try to keep this objective, but don't blame me if I get a little carried away.
Basically, the film blurs the lines between reality and fiction. It uses this half-comedic, half-serious, almost "documentary" style to show the highs and lows of a washed-up action star's life—specifically Jean-Claude Van Damme. It touches on his rise and fall, the baggage he carries (drugs, legal battles over kids, terrible roles, and bad movies), most of which were his own fault. Then there's this fictional setup where he's a celebrity suspected of a bank robbery, leading to a hostage situation that isn't what it seems. The movie is packed with quality, from the technical side to the direction and acting. To me, it feels like a mix of Tarantino and the French New Wave, with a heavy dose of "Being John Malkovich" and "Dog Day Afternoon." If I'm wrong, correct me, but I think "JCVD" pulls from multiple styles—the editing, the cinematography, the framing, and the non-linear storytelling that shows different perspectives, which is classic Tarantino. Even the music choice fits perfectly.
The film kicks off with a long action sequence shot in one continuous take lasting about three and a half minutes, set to that great "Hard Times" track by Baby Huey. One thing to note: during that sequence, some of the villains Van Damme is tossing around are speaking American. At one point, you can actually hear a famous line from his old movie "Lionheart" —
"First I'm gonna beat you, then I'm gonna screw you" LOL, a great little Easter egg that only real fans will catch. But moving on. That opening is exciting, funny, and a bit trashy all at once. It's the perfect way to show how tough and thankless it is to be a faded B-movie action star in an industry where everything is mass-produced just to make a quick buck. Don't let the action fool you, though; this isn't just another mindless shoot like his 80s and 90s stuff. Most of the action you see here isn't even the point of the movie.
"JCVD" is really a commentary on Van Damme's career and the entire action genre from the 80s and 90s. It name-drops pretty much every star from that era... Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Seagal, Chuck Norris, even Rutger Hauer. It even brings up John Woo, one of the absolute masters of the genre behind cult classics like "Hard Boiled" and "The Killer." It highlights how Van Damme’s persistence helped break into a Hollywood that barely knew who Woo was back then, even though the director was a massive star overseas. One of the characters even points this out. He says,
"Man would probably still be throwing clay pigeons in Hong Kong if it wasn't for Van Damme". Would he? Who knows, but honestly, it doesn't even matter.
The movie shows just how much Van Damme hates his own career—the flicks he’s made and the mess he’s in now, basically "stuck" filming cheap action movies produced in Eastern Europe. He actually makes fun of himself for it. After Seagal snatched a role from him just because he trimmed his goatee, Van Damme took a gig in some low-budget trash without even reading the script, simply because he needed the cash. As funny as that sounds, it’s pretty close to the truth. It’s no secret that Van Damme hasn't been happy with his filmography; very few projects ever met his standards, which is likely why he decided to shake things up and try to hit the reset button on his career.
A young director and one of the writers, Mabrouk El Mechri, did a Lionheart job here. By managing to pull the best out of Van Damme—that raw acting talent that’s been buried for years—he crafted a film that's entertaining, sad, nostalgic, and genuinely smart. The great (and occasionally long) shots, expressive camera angles, washed-out cinematography, the color palette, and an incredible soundtrack are all tools he uses to bring his vision to life. It’s worth noting the director isn't some huge Van Damme fan; he only saw a couple of his old movies growing up, so this isn't some "fan tribute" to a fallen star like some might think. The direction is also super sharp, using a sort of Tarantino-style approach to the storytelling that works for a few reasons. First, it keeps the director from showing all his cards upfront; he toys with the audience and the direction of the plot, even if we don't necessarily buy everything we see. Second, it breaks up any potential monotony that would have come from a strictly linear story. What I mean is, the director pulls us away from the hostage situation at the bank—which can get a bit slow—to give us glimpses through flashbacks into the lead character's life, showing us problems that make the bank heist look minor by comparison.
I already mentioned the music, but it bears repeating. Not just the song choices that fit perfectly, but the instrumental score by Gast Waltzing, which sounds like something Lalo Schifrin would compose. All of it builds an amazing atmosphere. The songs used, specifically "Hard Times" by Baby Huey at the start and "Modern Love"—originally by David Bowie, but covered by Maria Mazziotti at the end—feel like they're narrating the actor's life story.
"Having hard time in this crazy times" says one, while the other goes
"Its not really work, Its just the power to charm, Im still standing in the wind, But I never wave bye bye...But I try, I try". It's not just Van Damme's career that mirrors those lyrics; sometimes it feels like us, too.
To Be Continued...
