JCVD (2008)

No matter what you may think of his career spent kicking people in the head, you have to give Jean-Claude Van Damme at least a little credit. Since getting his start in 1984, “The Muscles from Brussels” has made over 35 films and remained in excellent shape for a man approaching 50. While contemporaries like Steven Seagal have eaten their way out of being serious action stars, Van Damme has kept sharp and positioned himself just one hit away from a career revival. With JCVD, Mabrouk El Mechri‘s unique meditation on the nature of celebrity, he may have finally stepped back into the spotlight.

In JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself, or at least the cinematic equivalent. This Van Damme is going through a rough patch: He’s about to lose his daughter in a custody battle; directors and agents happily misuse him for their own advantage; he loses a role to a certain overweight actor with a pony-tail; and he needs more money to keep paying his overpriced attorneys (his last check just bounced).

With so much drama in his life, he returns to his native country of Belgium, a place where the locals still embrace him as a national treasure. But not long after he arrives, a routine visit to the post office/bank lands Van Damme right in the middle of a robbery. The authorities think Van Damme is the mastermind behind the crime. He isn’t, of course, but finding out what’s really afoot is half the fun of the movie.

The other half is watching Van Damme at work. He gives a fearless performance in JCVD, completely playing against type as an aging star who’s put-upon at every turn. As his life spirals out of control, he’s forced to sit in a courtroom and listen to his daughter testify about peers ridiculing her whenever his movies play on television. He can’t even find solace in a quiet cab ride, as the driver verbally lambastes him for a perceived slight. By the time we join him, our hero is at the end of his rope…and then he stumbles into a hold-up.

But his best scene in the film comes during a bizarre six-minute monologue in which he breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the viewer. It begins as Van Damme, surrounded by robbers and hostages, floats into the air and all the way up to the building’s rafters. Once alone, he spills his guts about the triumphs and failures–but mainly the failures–of his life. The last quarter of this one-take speech is particularly powerful, and the rugged hero is wiping away tears by its conclusion. He then gracefully descends back to Earth and resumes his role as both hostage and negotiator. While his accent will always be an impediment to his range as an actor (at least in the U.S.), Van Damme still manages to give the finest performance of his lengthy career.

JCVD epitomizes what an experienced actor can accomplish if paired up with a fresh script and a director willing to think outside the box. Mabrouk El Mechri uses plenty of visual gymnastics to keep things interesting, including flashbacks, jump cuts, and off-kilter camera angles (not to mention the opening title sequence in which a silhouetted Van Damme delivers a roundhouse kick to both a young boy and a daisy). The film is also aided by a lively soundtrack which mixes soul and hip hop with music reminiscent of a 1960’s James Bond picture.

While it’s a great leap forward for Van Damme, those expecting his usual output of punches and kicks may be disappointed. Besides a high-octane opening sequence, the patented beatdowns are few and far between. Then again, it’s perfectly in keeping with El Mechri’s sly deconstruction of an action celebrity. It’s also hard not to be reminded of the O.J. Simpson fiasco when a legion of star-struck fans gather outside the crime scene and hold up signs reading, among others, “Free Jean-Claude Van Damme.”

If you were ever a fan of action movies from the ‘80s or early ‘90s, JCVD is a must-see. The same applies for those enamored with inventive films of the European cinema. Much like Mickey Rourke’s The Wrestler, JCVD gives us the rare opportunity to see a flagging career resurrected right in front of our eyes. Congratulations, Mr. Van Damme…you’ve earned it.