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.
With 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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Alternatively, you could contact me directly about this film or my other reviews on pickoftheweek@filmbore.co.uk
Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn have done it again by successfully taking the gong for Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards this weekend.
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