JCVD

Belgium, 2008, 97 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Claude Van Damme.
Directed by Mabrouk L. Mechri.

Who or what does JCVD stand for? A Japanese company? A slogan for Justice?

If you belong to the movie martial arts community, you would never ask that kind of question. Everybody knows that this is the acronym for the muscles from Brussels, Jean Claude Van Damme.

Van Damme is one of those surprising stars who has gathered an enormous following over more than twenty years. He is short. He has very limited range in his acting abilities. Nevertheless, he has his fans. Just look at comments on the IMDb about each of his films, even the weakest of them (which has been the case in his choice of movies in more recent years).

He and his writer and director had a brainwave about a different kind of film, one that could capitalise on his reputation, his on-screen talent – and his personal difficulties concerning custody of his daughter and the LA courts. What they have done is set up an emergency visit by Van Damme to a suburban Brussels post office to get a money order. Fair enough, and the fans he meets on the way are delighted. However, when he insists that the office open, he finds a hold-up in progress and he becomes one of the hostages. The ringleader is not impressed with him but one of the robbers wants to indulge in hero worship.

The twist is that the robbers decide to make it look as if Van Damme is doing the robbery to get his money for his lawyers who threaten to quit. We see the robbery from the police point of view, from the outside and with a doctor and an officer who go into the building. Then we see it from the inside, how Van Damme is being forced, the same actions with a much different reality than the previous appearances. And a fight showdown.

Van Damme is more interesting than usual, with some flashbacks to the court proceedings and, above all, a monologue straight to camera about himself, his hopes, ambitions, mistakes and regrets, his plans for better films (despite the scenes with his agent and the usual agent palaver). One presumes that, like Marlon Brando, he had cue cards to read this long speech from. But, it works quite well.

Not a bad interlude for our hero before he goes back (as he did) to his straight-to-DVD B-grade actioners.

1.The fans of Jean- Claude Van Damme? This film for them? For a wider audience? A perspective on the action star?

2.The career of Jean- Claude Van Damme, in the 80s and 90s, his popularity, action movies, serious movies? The decline into straight-to-DVD action movies? His wanting to rehabilitate himself? The perspectives of his own life, marriage, divorce, custody hearing?

3.The American court scenes? The reality in Brussels, the suburb, the streets, the shops, the bank? Authentic feel? Police action? The musical score?

4.The structure of the film: Van Damme and his coming to the bank, talking to the fans in the shop, wanting the cheque? The perspective on the robbery? As if he were committing the robbery? The second part looking at the same material, his being victimised by the actual robbers? The resolution of the case? The evidence against him? The difficulties of the cheque, the money, the American case, his behaviour in the bank?

5.The introduction to Jean- Claude Van Damme in this film? Genial, talking to the fans, his concern about getting the money? In the bank and his insistence? The later scene of his soliloquy straight to camera, the reflection on his life, career, meaning? Sincerity?

6.The robbery, Van Damme’s viewpoint? His demands about the transfer, being taken hostage, the speaking to the police, the words of the robbers? His trying to prevent injuries to the other hostages? The demands of the robbers? The money going into his own account – and therefore the possible criminal proceedings? The leader of the gang, his brutality? The treatment of the hostages? Artur, his being a fan, discussing Van Damme’s films? The working out of the diversion, the hostages and the possibility of escape? Artur and the gun, shooting the gang member? The attack of the police? Artur being killed? The rescue? Van Damme being arrested?

7.The robbery from the point of view of the police, the windows, Van Damme and his words, interpreted that he was the robber? The hostages, the transfer of the money? The dilemmas of the police? The police sending in the doctor, stripping, the humiliation? Their assessment of the situation?

8.Van Damme and the arrest, the conviction, extortion – the money paying legal fees, the support of his daughter?

9.The background of Los Angeles, the court sequences, his love for his daughter, the issue of custody? His assessment of himself as a father?

10.In prison, teaching karate? The visit of his daughter?

11.The impact for an audience of a star portraying himself, the blend of fiction and fact?