Wednesday 27 February 2013

Sugar Man Strikes Again!!

Not just a BAFTA, but an Oscar too!


Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn have done it again by successfully taking the gong for Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards this weekend.

It's so satisfying that a film of such joy and independent fervour has raised so much awareness to be granted the coveted award, and this should urge you all to go and watch Searching For Sugar Man immediately!

And if both a BAFTA and an Oscar won't convince you, maybe my pick of the week review will instead? Check out my review of the documentary on filmbore here.

And, more info on the their gong and many others from the ceremony can be found at the Academy's Oscars nomination site here. 

Friday 22 February 2013

filmbore pick of the week - Holy Motors

Holy Motors

Director: Leos Carax
Screenplay: Leos Carax
Starring: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob
Year: 2012
Language: French, English
UK rental release: January 2013

IMDb
LoveFilm
Rotten Tomatoes


Leos Carax has had a 13 year hiatus from feature length films, and with Holy Motors he returns with a wallop! As one of the standout pieces at last year's Cannes Film Festival (competing for the Palme d'Or against Michael Haneke's Amour), it's a unique film which challenges themes of life, death and re-birth, and of how these philospohies are affected by a manipulating and demanding media.

We open on a sleeping audience, ignoring what's being projected on screen as they contently stay in a cinematic slumber. Our director awakens in a strange room at the back of the theatre, who through escaping arrives at a vista of the sleeping viewers, non-plussed by the scenes set before them. He peruses the setting, only to ponder on it's meaning...

Enter Monsieur Oscar (Denis Lavant, Tuvalu, Beau Travail), a professional who's business is to portray strongly characterised performances. He has a number of mysterious appointments set before him, each of them designed in a manner set by unknown clients. Monsieur Oscar has only moments to absorb what he can before taking all manner of guises in order to complete these designated missions and, as a "method" businessman, he will embody a different persona for each appointment in order to succeed.

Sometimes he's an old lady beggar, or a mo-cap performer, or a crazed "Fagin-like" flower eating vagrant, or an old man dying in a hotel...he even makes time to portray the odd ad-lib. Whatever the scenario, he must don the character chosen for him, living and breathing each person as if they are real...but maybe they are?!

He is chauffeured around the city of Paris to undergo his missions by his driver and associate, Céline (Edith Scob, Eyes Without A Face, Summer Hours). She is a calming element in his life, and the only true constant in his surreal existence. Keeping him on track, she is his security blanket, always there at the start and end of each role he inhabits.

But where does Monsieur Oscar's life truly start or end? Is his whole existence just an act? All he knows is that when he has completed his appointments, there will be a new day to come; a new life and new jobs to live.


Holy Motors is prime example of the impressive evolution of art house over the years. Thanks to Leos Carax's brilliance and originality here, we are treated to a cocktail of electrifying scenarios that you would expect to share the same celluloid.

What Carax does here is put us in the position of his clients, purveying his wares through the performances of Monsieur Oscar; the city of Paris his stage, his limousine is his backstage, his execution of each role his product. It's a unique selling point, allowing us to partake as the third party character in the film and it sets us firmly in the hot seat, experiencing each alternate act as a true viewer.

The roller coaster of feelings that his technique provides is thanks to the structure. Holy Motors is, in some way, a portmanteau piece, majoring in as many unique vignettes as it can to exercise its incredible versatility. Where art house appears to be the spine of the picture, a multitude of other genres represent the surrounding organs: drama, comedy, thriller, erotica, horror, romance, musical. Each genre assigns itself to a particular segment, for example, surrealist horror comedy would be a suitable classification for the flower eating maniac portion of the movie.

Although it is a true medley, a vibrant air of core theatrical presence is constantly at the forefront thanks to some both excellently peculiar and geniously touching portrayals. The cameo's from both Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue fit surprisingly well, and Edith Scob is modestly effecting as Céline. But there's no ignoring the incredible delivery by Denis Lavant. His array of performances are outstandingly lavish, and you cannot dispute the powerful rendition of the role, and subsequent others, that he embarks on. Sometimes subtle, other times extravagant, Lavant has shrewdly laid out the complex character of Monsieur Oscar with exquisite execution.

Somehow, the nature of his character's career excuses the bizarre blend of variable shorts. If not for this fact, it would be difficult to forgive what would otherwise be a film suffering from a lack of seamlessness, which it thankfully it does not. Thanks to Lavant's performances and Carax's structuring of the tale everything fits perfectly. It's a refreshing method of storytelling paired with some striking camera works. When considering the body of work from our helmer, unsurprisingly it's visually breathtaking, like someone's injected David Lynch with Van Gogh hormones. Also, some of the more interesting shots are not all about symbolism either; they are just as much filled with equally artistic expressions for our visual delight, fulfilling our retinal appetite at every corner.

Our audial thirst is taken care of too. In order to ground some of the key sections of the picture, an interesting choice of using known classical pieces strewn amongst the scenes not only breathes an air of familiarity to the piece but also gives extra sensitivity to the material. Even the dramatic theme from 1954's Gojira (Godzilla) is put to good use here (some of the heads out there will recognise it as the anthem sampled for a well known track by hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch) ramping up the thrills in one of the main vignettes in the story. The interlude section is the most enjoyable however - one of his appointments and a wonderful interval amidst the madness.

Some of these chapters are incredibly smart too, proposing some interesting dilemmas and themes: it riffs on the current views of the changes in today's media and the desires of our recent viewing public, the likes of which may favour You Tube as their conventional screen of entertainment. As technology advances, even in photographic capture, what lengths would we expect our performers to go to in order to keep us amused, thrilled, bedazzled and awed? At certain moments it raises questions of the reality of death and how we perceive it as either finality or a transitional moment. This also includes proposed theories on re-birth, of how it can manifest in small life journeys or in a literal sense.

These combined philosophical musings tied to the visual treats in store poise inquisitive views while on the journey with Mr Oscar. Are we all just living in a thread of acts and scenes for someone else's amusement? Who really controls our actions? Are we making decisions on these moments for ourselves of the pleasure of others? It takes a adept hand to managed all of the elements I promote above in the delicate manner that Leos Carax has done and still leave room for questioning are own direction in this life, who holds the reigns and who are we truly performing for, making Holy Motors, in my opinion, his masterpiece.


Sometimes a film comes along and exceeds your expectations...as rare as these are, I feel that Holy Motors can be truly counted as one of these marvellous gems.

I was amazed by it. Just when you think cinema has covered all of its bases, you can still be awed. A flurry of alternate scenes await you, tailed off with a joyous final scene that, at the end of one of the most original films you will ever see, can still surprise you!

Sensational!


Don't forget to leave comments below, tweet me @filmbore or post on my Facebook page here.

Alternatively, you could contact me directly about this film or my other reviews on pickoftheweek@filmbore.co.uk

Saturday 16 February 2013

It's your choice.

Interactive cinema is evolving!

Narrative choices are becoming common place in some marketing campaigns recently. Interactive car adverts, for example, are strewn with dilemmas for you to opt in to to determine certain outcomes. Comedy videos on Youtube even present you with a selection of potential endings, and the concept has even crept it's way into the decision process in modern computer games (a la retro fantasy adventure games, like Zork) such as the extremely enjoyable cinematic masterpiece that is Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain.

But can we take this further? How far can we take this methodology? In the near future, will we be presented with a near infinite amount of possible outcomes from a controlled voting system at your local multiplex? Will all media be directed by the feeling and views of the general public like some of the talent shows that are still at the height of popularity?

Whatever your opinion on the matter, there is a lot to be said when considering the entertaining factor of directly interfacing with the content you are viewing. I urge you to read Randy Astle's article at filmmakermagazine.com here which promotes a new short film called many worlds. It's aim is to be biologically driven by a small selective audiences dependant on their current state of being, which will drive events and music during the piece, finally culminating in one of four different endings.


It's an intriguing approach to film making which could impact on the way the medium will evolve. Let me know your views by commenting below, posting on facebook here, or emailing filmbore directly on news@filmbore.co.uk. 

Sugar Man wins!!

The Best Doc won!

Congratulations to Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn for winning the BAFTA for Best Documentary 2013 last week.

I for one have become a fan of both the film and the artist Rodriguez since watching and reviewing Searching For Sugar Man and I urge you all to do the same.

Need a little more nudging? Check out my review of the documentary on filmbore here.

And, more info on the their gong at the ceremony can be found at BAFTA's website here

Friday 15 February 2013

filmbore pick of the week - Dead Man's Shoes

Dead Man's Shoes

Director: Shane Meadows
Screenplay: Paddy Considine, Shane Meadows 
Starring: Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell, Gary Stretch
Year: 2004
Language: English
UK rental release: February 2005


Those of you have been following my blog so far will realise that I'm a bit of a fan of two of British independent cinema's key ambassadors: Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine. This week, I want to promote another of their fine collaborations and one that I always state is my personal favourite from Meadows, Dead Man's Shoes

Richard (Paddy Considine, A Room For Romeo Brass, Submarine, Hot Fuzz) is a non-submissive military man, on leave and returning to his Midlands home town. He's spending time with his mentally challenged brother, Anthony (Toby Kebbell, RocknRolla, Control) who is a little reluctant to leave the shack they are currently residing in to venture into the local town centre due to the experiences he has had. A gang of men involved in supplying drugs in the area used to take advantage of Anthony, and this has fed a ball of resentment and anger which has crept into the spine of his brother Richard.

What started as innocent fun and games, unabashed with dealing out peer-pressured invites to Anthony, the group of men in question, headed by leader Sonny (Gary Stretch, Savages, Alexander) mock Anthony further and further, until he is just a target for their own amusement. The belittlement evolves to uncontrollable level, and Richard is determined to return the favour.

On a particular visit, Anthony points out one of the gang members, Herbie (Stuart Wolfenden). Richard watches him with a steady glare, steeled by a determination to intimidate. At first, he shocks Herbie into submission with a brief but powerful insult. Our offended leaves, only to be greeted by our protagonist yet again, but this time Richard aims to apologise for his outburst in a somewhat forbearing but creepy manner. Herbie is a little suspect of the soldier's intentions, and suspects he is Anthony's brother looking to get revenge.

As it dawns on Sonny and the rest of the crew that Richard is back on the scene, the start to take a more defensive view of the situation, pensively on the lookout for the army hero returned home. Richard is resolute in his mission however. As a gas mask wearing vigilante, he intends to embark on a one-man war on the lads that pushed his brother over the edge. His pranks evolve into more brutal, frightening beast as he takes each of them on a journey to hell through violence, overdoses and mental warfare. 

But there is something deeper fuelling this furious soul. As we follow his journey with him, and further understand the events that led to his attack on Sonny's mob, a harrowing truth will reveal itself.


Many people are now aware of Shane Meadows work thanks to his incredible British milestone film This Is England and the excellent follow-on TV series of the same name. Some of even familiar with his earlier works like TwentyFourSeven and A Room For Romeo Brass (check the review here) but this picture has slipped under the radar for some. If you haven't seen this film, I urge you to rent out immediately, as it's quite possibly his most unique output so far.

The core element to this different approach is that Dead Man's Shoes at its heart is a pure thriller; not that this particular film category hasn't reared its head in his other movies but none have infused this impacting vibe more so than this film in particular. It's success as a thriller is partly thanks to its companionship to two of Meadow's most chosen genus' for his pictures: drama and humour. As this pair of stalwart genres settle you in until your guard is down your hit with the crashing sudden shocks in the quick, fearful actions of Richard, awakening the inner fear that you require to engulf yourself in the piece. Moods can suddenly change in an instant, raising your thrill levels after being comfortably swaddled in the tale's sincere humour and down-to-earth drama.

The suspense that embarks on a journey through your synapses is assisted by some great filming choices through. Eerie, grey scaled flashbacks are presented to you to slowly unravel the occurrences that have driven Richard to his actions. Not only do these vignettes serve as dividers through the whole piece, segmenting the overall story into a number of sketch length acts, but they are joined with a blend of handheld shots, location based camera work and one-off artistic pastiches of the local urban environment. Meadow's has always been very selective of his filmic arenas, keeping to the East Midlands (including my hometown of Nottingham) on a regular basis. The same can be said here, and he has kept his location choices to a minimum, allowing you to find familiarity with the surroundings as the story moves forward.

Nothing propels this tale with more gumption though than our cast, especially from out lead. This is, undoubtedly, Paddy Considine's finest performance to date, even beating his commanding and consuming presence in My Summer Of Love. A unforgettable key scene in Dead Man's Shoes demonstrates this point: when Sonny and the lads spot Richard on the side of the road, he confronts him. It's here that Sonny lays down the law to Richard in an attempt to dilute his attempts on them. With patience and diligent attitude he waits for Sonny to finish his intimidation only to throw it straight back to him in a brief speech of sheer terror and confidence. This delicate use of the script and refined portrayal is what makes Considine the actor he is. His on-screen spirit is unparallelled in any picture he is in, and this is the best example you will ever see of this.

However, this doesn't deter from the clear ability of the rest of the cast, who are also superb. The gang themselves are a wonderfully interesting bunch of real individuals. They aren't caricatured in any way but somehow manage to establish their own position in the tale within the first few moments they are on screen. Again, Meadows has brilliantly allowed his performers the space to breathe and display their talent in a natural fashion which centres story from beginning to end.

But the other stand-out performance here is from our supporting actor. Toby Kebbell is subtly genius as handicapped Anthony. This is not an offensive portrayal either, as he is kind to the mental state of his character and gives him a balanced personality of softness and gentle love for his older protective brother. Now, he too is becoming a recognisable face thanks to some memorable takes on some of his more recent roles, but his touching execution of a difficult role to pull-off is the keystone to a small film that has many parts to consider and hold together.


The end has received some mixed comments from many reviewers, but I ask that you take a step back and observe the choices made from both the major reveal and the outcome in the final scenes. They are brave and just when considering the whole story and the actions of our lead and it's difficult to see the picture end in any other manner than the way it did. Yet, I still feel that you will be bowled over by the content in this piece...an independent British film with a great cast, natural filming, fantastic script and a concussive story that will bewilder and amaze you. 

Don't forget to leave comments below, tweet me @filmbore or post on my Facebook page here.

Alternatively, you could contact me directly about this film or my other reviews on pickoftheweek@filmbore.co.uk

Friday 8 February 2013

filmbore pick of the week - Searching For Sugar Man

Searching For Sugar Man

Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Screenplay: Malik Bendjelloul
Starring: Rodriguez, Stephen "Sugar"Segerman, Craig Bartholomew-Strydom
Year: 2012
Language: English
UK rental release: December 2012

IMDb
LoveFilm
Rotten Tomatoes

There are many documentary films out there, and it's sometimes difficult to filter through them all to find stories of interest. I do tend to watch quite a lot, but few have grabbed me more than the fascinating story of the salubrious success of an unknown artist, Rodriguez.

1968 Detroit. Dennis Coffey, who had worked with some of the biggest names in music at the time, was recommended to meet a new up-and-coming artist named Rodriguez. He went to meet him at a smokey bar near the river, close to where the musician worked, to scope him out, discovering who he believed could become another Bob Dylan. 

Rodriguez wrote songs of what he saw around the streets of Detroit. He was a spirit...a wanderer...a mystery. Coffey teamed up with another big producer, Mike Theodore, to record Rodriguez's 1st album, Cold Fact. For some reason, the LP didn't dent the US music scene. Then, Steve Rogen came along to produce the second album, Coming From Reality, which flopped too. This appeared to be the end of his career.

In South Africa however, Rodriguez went through the 70s equivalent of "going viral". From one rumoured source of a cassette of Cold Fact being brought into the the country, copies  were made, spreading amongst the music fans and starting a chain reaction. It wasn't long until nearly every household had a version of Cold Fact.

His songs had a huge impact on a generation struggling to confront an oppressive Apartheid. The lyrics themselves influenced the start of a wave of new alternative Afrikaans artists, further inspiring the youth to stand up against the racial segregation of their nation. Rodriguez was their hero. A stranger to the world, even his home country of America, had become one of South Africa's biggest artists. Cold Fact was the anthem of a generation.

The fame of Rodriguez also brought tales of his demise, of which this film is all about. Many tales of his suicide are prevalent throughout South Africa: some say he doused himself in petrol on stage and set himself on fire, other claim he shot himself in the head at the end of a bad performance, even drug overdoses were speculated. Truthfully, nobody really knows how he died. In South Africa, Rodriguez was (and still is) as big as The Beatles but was still an enigma. There is little information on the artist but there are some who are desperate to find out more.

Enter our first protagonist, record shop owner Stephen "Sugar" Segerman. Heavily involved in getting hold of records by Rodriguez, he tries to use his knowledge of the industry to solve the puzzle. Also, if he was dead, where did all the royalties go? In steps our other sleuth, Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, a music journalist, wanting to investigate the monetary area further. Craig and Sugar decide to pool resources to see if they can crack this conundrum and get closer to the truth. 

And thanks to one specific lyric, and a single post on a website built to locate more on the musician, everything was about to open up...


I'd heard that there had been some great response to this docu-film, which is usually a good sign when trying to sift through all the other picture of the same ilk, due to the difficulty in standing out of what is a complex and suffocating genre. However, I was determined to avoid any material on the piece in order to get sucked into the story. I already feel slightly hypocritical in mentioning too of the plot much above, but if you do choose to read a lot into what I have explained so far, do not fret - I haven't ruined it for you.

What I can say though is that Malik Bendjelloul has ensured that there is a real identity to this picture, allowing it to peek it's head above it's filmic brethren. Every now and then, peeping through the general docu-vibe are brief artistic interludes: sketched photos, animated scenes, cityscapes, calmly segmenting the film into bite-sized chunks, while still permitting a gentle flow to the tale as the mystery of the man is slowly revealed. The more artistic of these i-dents (thanks to Arvid Steen's stylistic animation) are a nice segue between poignant story points, while the sweeping and rising shots of vistas, landscapes and urban environments help to grant the overall piece a truly global feel, which is imperative when understanding the reach this man had across the water.

These moments are usually accompanied by Rodriguez's infectious tunes, fulfilling the persona that this documentary presents you with. Even the beautiful opening shots of the South African coastline are paired with the enigmatic "Sugar Man", the opener to the Rodriguez's first LP. His songs are the entire soundtrack. It's an obvious choice of course, when considering that he is the source material. Yet, not only does this open your mind to his musical talent but it also helps to illustrate the quality of his writing and performing by holding an entire move score with recordings that happened over 40 years ago. Like many legends of musical history, his tunes hold up to this day, and after watching Searching For Sugar Man I am now a self confessed fan of his music.

But not all of you may feel the same. Sure, you'll be able to appreciate his ability as an artist, but music is a different beast. Thankfully, wherever your tastes may place your views, there is another element at play that takes this documentary to a higher state of storytelling - it's a real life detective story.

Perfectly orchestrated from the first words uttered (from Sugar, confessing his believed rumour of Rodriguez's death) we are slowly fed trickles of information. As the scenes move forward, we are treated to discovered photos, but only at a slow and filtered pace, still leaving a shawl of perplexity and riddles attuned our elusive songwriter. As Sugar and Craig explain some of their methods to find out more about their adopted legend, we get to experience their plight alongside them. One intriguing component to their investigations is when they attempt to dissect the song lyrics in order to locate the source for more records, leading to some key moments of discovery.

This desire to unravel the puzzle of a man so famous in their country is the driving force to the entire picture, helping to glue together the pairing of interesting filming and editing, with the charisma and charm of Rodriguez's musical art. 


Bendjelloul has created a wonderfully enriching and emotional documentary thanks to the existence of a wonderful story of an unknown. The reveals are superbly balanced and patiently presented, which is rare in this genre. It's been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this years Academy Awards, which is always a surprising and challenging category to stand out in. However, I for one think it has a good a chance as any, plus it allows a beautiful tale to get the further recognition it so rightfully deserves. Good luck Rodriguez!


Don't forget to leave comments below, tweet me @filmbore or post on my Facebook page here.

Alternatively, you could contact me directly about this film or my other reviews on pickoftheweek@filmbore.co.uk

Thursday 7 February 2013

January Overview

Attack of the weather? Hope you made the most of it!

So, for my fellow Brits and many of you around the world, January was a time for weather to strike, may it be on a large scale in some events, or even as small as snowing you in and freezing your car beyond repair! Whatever the situation, January was a month of hibernation and I hope you used this chance to catch up on your film watching.


So, award season has already started, with more underway, The big Christmas films have come and gone and there's been more news on the new Star Wars piccies than any thing else in the cinematic realm. But filmbore goes on...here's a catch up on January.


Pick of the week - Recap

Juan José Campanella's incredible thriller The Secret In Their Eyes was the surprise taker of the 82nd Academy Award for Foreign Film (which was a tough category that year) and it's clear to see why. A courageous picture, covering some dark themes that may be a little tough to stomach but are tied up in an intense and brilliantly thought out tale. With the added mix of a brooding love story beneath, this concoction will stain your brain for some time.

A favourite of many cinephiles, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's second collaboration with Marc Caro is one of the most unique pieces you will ever experience. The City Of Lost Children is amusing, mysterious and charmingly skewed, and the foundations of Jeunet's evolving talent is on show throughout. However, it's the charisma and genius of Dominique Pinon that truly wins over.

A smooth balance between humour and drama is on offer in the deliciously enjoyable Goodbye Lenin!, thanks to a sterling screenplay from Bernd Lichtenberg and the film's director, Wolfgang Becker. Alex has to do everything to hide the changes to Germany from his mother, as her communist social standing will be shaken from discovering her country's evolution during her brief coma.


http://www.ionlywatch18s.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bronson.jpgThe acting force that is Tom Hardy meets the eclectic directing hand of  Nicolas Winding Refn in the gritty art-house biopic, Bronson. This is an all together original take on the life-story genre, placing well built humour, creative vignettes and factual impact into a concise, and brutally approachable tale of the most violent and misunderstood criminal the United Kingdom has ever seen. 


...and a new Top 10 arrives!



Thanks to the domination of Django Unchained at the multiplexes, and the furore in the media, both positive and negative, I felt the next Top 10 should follow in the movie's footsteps.




Django Unchained is loosely inspired on the 1966 Italian Western Django, and it's subsequent unofficial sequels. So, I thought it best to compile a comprehensive list of what I believe are the Top 10 "Re-imaginings"; movies in made in the same inspirational vein as Tarantino's latest epic.


However, that is not all...bring your opinions to the pot in the comments section at the bottom of the post, or start a thread on the filmbore facebook page airing your views. Let's get a debate going!  



And don't forget to leave comments below, tweet me @filmbore or post on my Facebook page here

Or, you can email me directly at overview@filmbore.co.uk.


Monday 4 February 2013

Raid 2: Berendal goes into production!

The Raid 2 is happening!

For those of you who were amazed by Gareth Evans crazy, hi-octane action smash The Raid last year can now rejoice...as the sequel is now underway!


That's right, production on follow-up to that insane indie film from Indonesia that created a storm the world over has commenced, with the current title "The Raid 2: Berendal". Little is known of the plot at this stage, except that it follows on a mere two hours after the first instalment, re-joining Rama (Iko Uwais) as he works undercover. See some of these behind the scenes production photos to get your worked up.





Unfortunately, it's been confirmed that we won't get to see this chapter in the saga for some time, as it won't be released commercially until 2014! However, I don't know about you, but I'm still reeling over the first one and could welcome a break before going down that crazy road again!








For those unaware of the first film, read my review on it here then do yourself a favour and go and rent the DVD.


the filmbore


Friday 1 February 2013

filmbore pick of the week - JCVD

JCVD

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri
Screenplay: Frédéric Benudis, Mabrouk El Mechri, Christophe Turpin
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Karim Belkhadra, Zinedine Soualem
Year: 2008
Language: French, English 
UK rental release: February 2009
IMDb

A few years ago I, like many of you, got a little excited when I heard of a new Van Damme film which was getting a bit more attention than his recent straight-to-DVD efforts. Nostalgic memories of Bloodsport, Kickboxer and A.W.O.L. kicked in with the reverent expectation for another slow-mo Van Damme scream! However, in hindsight thankfully, this is not what this film is about.

Jean-Claude Van Damme (playing a version of himself) is returning to his hometown of Schaarbeek, Brussels during a stressful time of his life. Not only is he failing to secure parts in unrecognised films, losing them to fellow 80s actioner Steven Seagal in some cases, but he is struggling financially and a thread away from losing custody of his daughter to his ex-wife.


In Brussels, however, he is still respected; still getting stopped for photos by adoring fans. Here, he can settle himself and work out his next steps. In a rush to receive some wired funds however, he gets more than he bargained for.

In the calm street where his bank is located, just moments after striking a pose for two Van Damme enthusiasts, alarms break out at the bank that he entered. A policeman on the scene approaches the building, only to get a glimpse of Jean-Claude screaming at him from inside (strangely enough, in slow-mo!). The officer tries to peek under the slim gap left at the bottom of the shutters, only to be greeted by the end of a pistol.

http://metronewsca.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/8adbcffe41a6a56a639f463c4e88.jpeg?w=400&h=300&crop=1With little information, Commissioner Bruges (François Damiens, Delicacy) arrives at the shop across the street, now acting as a makeshift headquarters, to try and establish a connection with the hostage takers at the bank, believing to be lead by Jean-Claude Van Damme. He manages to get into the bank with a doctor to treat any hurt civilians inside, only to be greeted by a pistol-wielding Van Damme. But, not everything is as it seems.

Jean-Claude's part in this heist is unclear, but he is clearly the point of communication with what's happening. It's assumed that he has taken this action in order to fund his needs in a life collapsing around him. What you'll discover is that he's not alone, and maybe not in control. Will he still be a local hero or the new local villain once the job is done?


I want to start the review segment of this article with a little spoiler warning. If you haven't seen the film and would like the little surprise during the first act, I'd advise only reading some of the following, or do so at your own peril. I will add, however, that knowledge of the mild twist won't spoil your enjoyment of this film.

What I haven't alluded to in my synopsis above is that only about 20 minutes in you discover that Jean-Claude is also a hostage, only being forced to play the part of the villain for the other innocents with him. But it's nice to believe that he is the villain for the first part of the piece. Anyhow, let's get back to the beginning itself.

The opening scene sets the tone immediately. After a few seconds of believing you are watching a standard Van Damme action scene (impressively handled in one shot) you realise that you are watching a film that, even though displaying a serious outlook to Jean-Claude's acting ability, isn't taking itself too seriously. In this incredibly over-the-type opening salvo, we're blessed with a compendium of action movie cliche's and even a few slip ups. The closing debate between star and director, both segregated by language barriers and a different understanding of what the movie's motivation highlights Van-Damme as a shadow of his former self. He is tired, a perfectionist and older than his prime years. This three and half minute prologue sets the tone to the picture perfectly.

We get treated to some flashbacks too, to court case moments regarding custody of his daughter, and arguments with his agent over the choice of parts for him, to help build the necessary layers of his pseudo-character. Some of these scenes are beautifully shot, with the odd subtle Dutch angle, occasional sepia-toned captures, and even a couple of re-played scenes from different perspectives to help accentuate the reveals through the initial story evolution. It's all handled very competently with just a little hint of style and panache; a delicate balance that helps you appreciate what the film truly is. This is not a Van Damme action film. This is a great piece of Belgian cinema starring Jean-Claude, and it's not afraid to punctuate that all the way through. Some scenes are even softened by hard top light to calm the audience to some of the more verbally dramatic scenes, like when we are welcomed into Jean-Claude's attempt to withdraw his much needed funds from the bank teller.

Some of these moments are well written too, and in no way pretentious. The script could have easily have catered for the fans expectations and over written our lead's lines, or over-worked the text to try and purposefully obtain the opposite feel, but instead both methods are gratefully ignored. The screenplay is direct and emotional, never over playing some lines, but still giving room for some more realistic outbursts: again, see Jean-Claude's bank teller scene to see what I'm getting at.

As mentioned above though, it's the tone of this piece that's ideally portrayed from the off, which helps to bring substance and depth to the script...and this also includes sprinkles of humour. With continued references to Steven Seagal and John Woo, the tale is brought back down to earth at choice moments that seem rightly timed, and are paired with comedic moments. My particular favourite is the scene where Van Damme is requested to demonstrate one of his famous hip-based kick techniques, by clipping a cigarette out of someone's mouth. There's a subtlety in the humour throughout the rest of the picture however, which works noticeably better as the film goes on. A lot of the comedy is held by one character, the vigil of the bank played by Karim Belkhadra (Room To Rent) who is incredibly likeable, even as one of the criminals of the piece. And when playing off his comrades, especially the creepy "Homme au Bonnet" (Zinedine Soualem, Nothing To Declare), he's an incremental piece to the equilibrium between the light and dark of the overall film.

But we cannot leave without a mention of our star. It's his face on the cover, and his name in the title, so does he gain the right of this prominence? I can tell you that he certainly does, as it is Jean-Claude Van Damme himself that is the biggest surprise here. This shrewd choice to portray a skewed version of himself, with slight connections to some real life issues, is genius. Not only does he play this caricature with refined assuredness and class, but he succeeds in delivering a career best performance. You get a real feel of this throughout the entire picture, yet this realisation of a talent never usually attuned to his stardom fully appears in the, now famed, six minute monologue near the end of the tale.

He rises out of the set, mumbling to himself, until he breaks the fourth wall and addresses you directly. Covering reasons for his marriage breakdowns, drug abuse and striving for fame in the strange world of Hollywood, it's unclear whether this is a confession of his true persona, one of the film's character, or a blend of the two. What you can be absolutely sure about however is that if comes from the heart. It's an emotionally-fuelled, heart wrenching moment. It could be method, it could be theatrical, but it's definitely Jean-Claude saying "see...I can act after all". Not only is this a strong scene, but for fans of his earlier work it is incredibly enlightening. It's a confident moment that could have fallen flat on its face from the flying kick of a performance from our lead, yet its genuine sincerity pulls it through. Some have said that it is self indulgent, and maybe it is. But if you are going so egocentrically insatiable, why not do it in style and finesse like Van Damme does. For me it's the central flagstone of the whole film, and elevates it from a decent piece of world cinema, to a personally surprising and effecting movie.


It's a fine moment when an actor goes outside of his/her comfort zone to explore other avenues of performance, but JCVD is a film that allows it's lead to head down avenues involving such personal depth that it's difficult not to feel more connected to one of the biggest action stars of all time. It's a shame that he hasn't stuck to his guns (or now lack of!) and continued down this path, but I'm glad that he chose to show an untapped and missed ability on a film and script that is totally worthy of it. 

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