JCVD
DVD
Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Francois Damiens
Peace Arch Home Entertainment
Release date: April 28, 2009

Jean-Claude Van Damme movies remind me of a time when my friends and I would watch them way before we were old enough. Bloodsport and Kickboxer sparked a time where in our pre-adolescent state we would act out moments in our front rooms which included several painfully abandoned attempts to do the splits between two chairs and some pathetic round-house kicks to thin air.

There always seemed to be a formula that involved the bad guys getting the upper hand then Van Damme taking them down armed or not and there would usually be a shot of him doing the splits before the end credits rolled. Then along comes JCVD.

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a down on his luck version of himself. He is fighting a court battle over custody of his daughter, he can’t pay his lawyers fees, his agent can’t find him work, and as if that isn’t bad enough, Steven Seagal just pipped him to the starring role in the Purple Amulet. Then on a retreat to his homeland of Belgium his luck finally hits rock bottom.

A post office robbery brings the town of Schaerbeek to a standstill. Hostages — including a kid – are trapped inside and when the real crims appoint Van Damme their spokesperson he becomes the villain to the outside world. The townspeople, press, and a waiting S.W.A.T. team surround the building baying for action. TV screens beam pictures of the heist to the world — which includes his watching parents. He is helpless as his life falls apart and there is nothing he can do from within the post office.

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s life is a mixture of contradictions: In America he is a star among many with no money and can’t get any screen time. In Belgium he is a hero. Idolized wherever he goes he can do no wrong. His screen time may be as part of a news program in which he is the topic but that won’t stop his fans chanting his name outside.

The movie is split into three parts, all showing the same situations but from different points of view. The opening third is shown mainly from the perspective of the police, and in particular that of Commissioner Bruges (Francois Damiens) as they set up camp in a geeky video store. We are led to believe that Van Damme is guilty (at this stage mostly because he looks it). The middle is from Van Damme’s point of view allowing the audience to feel more sympathetic towards him; his money troubles are elaborated and he becomes a man who feels like he has lost his grip on life. This builds to a thrilling final third, mixing both points of view and feels more balanced because of it. This structure allows the director to reveal moments in unexpected ways; sometimes this adds to the drama, other times it relieves it. There are some surprising and very funny moments. But this is a dramatic film only permeated by moments of humour and action.

The real post office robbers provide some of the most callous moments and also the funniest. The ring leader who oozes sinister is mostly helped by his slightly less intelligent sidekick. The final member of the team idolizes Van Damme and is supposed to be watching the hostages but spends most of the time talking to Van Damme about his movies and even asks him to kick a cigarette out of a fellow hostage’s mouth.

The look of the film is largely solemn and subdued but with a faint glow making it feel nostalgic or hopeful. Thanks largely to the excellently named cinematographer Pierre-Yves Bastard. Director Mabrouk El Mechri shoots it as a documentary handling the transition from frantic action to reflective introspection very well.

Another facet of my love for this movie is the fact this contains some of what I believe to be Van Damme’s finest acting. He’s a 47-year-old man with no money, no immediate work, and losing custody of his daughter. Sure he can still kick a cigarette out of someone’s mouth and carry wounded co-stars (comrades) through a hail of bullets, but that’s all been done by the younger, hungrier Van Damme. This guy is angry at life, fed up with yet another shitty situation, and just not having the energy to do anything about it. Life is so much simpler in the movies — in his movies. Van Damme conveys all of this without forcing it down our throats.

JCVD is in both English and French. The court scenes and those featuring Van Damme’s lawyer and agent are in English, all scenes in Belgium are in French. This, I feel, works very well. Why should the people of Schaerbeek all speak English or with fake accents?

The last Jean-Claude Van Damme movie I watched on DVD was Street Fighter, so understandably my expectations were somewhat low. Those expecting to see a typical ass-kicking explosion-fueled Van Damme movie may be a little disappointed. Those willing to accept it for what it is will be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

DVD Features

Deleted Scenes: only 2 deleted scenes, which seems a shame, one of which is the hilarious cigarette-kicking scene but shot from a different angle (and with a different outcome than the one left in the movie).

The Making Of JCVD: a 40-minute behind the scenes featurette which shows mainly the location shots in the square outside the post office. El Mechri seems incredibly nervous at the thought of shooting with Van Damme at the beginning and has to address the crowds on how to behave when he arrives on set. Van Damme even says El Mechri is the best director he has ever worked with. But they all say that.

The post office interior shot shows the other side of Jean-Claude Van Damme, the one filled with nerves and self-doubt. It’s clear the pressures of “˜real’ acting were a huge problem for him. By his own admission, up to now, his movies were formulaic in their story ready for the straight to video market. This time he felt the weight of expectation. It’s worth waiting to see his reaction to the finished film.

A Day In The Life Of JCVD: Van Damme gives us an hour-long tour of Brussels pointing out his old hangouts and talking openly about his life and anxieties.

Teasers: A collection of teaser trailers for JCVD.