JCVD (2008)

Director:

Mabrouk El Mechri

Writers:

Mabrouk El Mechri (scenario)
Frédéric Benudis (collaboration)

Release Date:

4 June 2008 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Be Aware

Plot:

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are...

Plot Keywords:

Movie Star | Police | Men In Underwear | Courtroom | Long Take

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	J.C.V.D.
François Damiens	...	Bruges
Zinedine Soualem	...	L'homme au bonnet
Karim Belkhadra	...	Le vigile
Jean-François Wolff	...	Le trentenaire
Anne Paulicevich	...	La guichetière
Liliane Becker	...	Mère JCVD
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
François Beukelaers	...	Père JCVD
John Flanders	...	Prosecuting attorney
Saskia Flanders	...	J.C.V.D.'s daughter
Dean Gregory	...	Realisateur de Tobey Wood
Kim Hermans	...	Prisoner in kickboxing outfit
Janine Horsburgh	...	JCVD assistant
Vincent Lecuyer	...	Vendeur Vidéo Club
Raphaëlle Lubansu	...	Otage 1
Steve Preston	...	Accessoiriste JCVD
Paul Rockenbrod	...	Tobey Wood
Alan Rossett	...	Bernstein
Norbert Rutili	...	Perthier
Jesse Joe Walsh	...	Jeff
Leslie Woodhall	...	Prison visitor
Mourade Zeguendi	...	Client Vidéo Club

Also Known As:

Le rois des Belges (Belgium: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Belgium | Luxembourg | France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | USA:R | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Samsa Film

Trivia:

The opening intro scene was filmed at the end of the shoot for insurance reasons. It was rehearsed over an entire night and shot 4 or 5 takes.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the scene where the two guys talk about movies in the Video-store the one claims that Stallone fought against Arabs in "Rambo 3". But actually in "Rambo 3" John Rambo was fighting FOR Arabs in Afghanistan and against the "bad" Russian troops.

Quotes:

Policier: Central to Unit 27. Jean-Claude Van Damme's robbing a post office. I need back-up.

Movie Connections:

References "The Sopranos" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Hard Times

Interesting movie, with a terrific performance by Van Damme.

Interesting concept from french director Mabrouk el Mechri: real action star Jean Claude Van Damme is engaged into a bitter legal battle for his daughter's custody. Said daughter is mocked by her classmates for her father's antics, and prefers staying with her mother. Ridiculed by the media and smarty-pants naysayers, condemned to shoot sub-par B-movies in eastern Europe, almost broke and devastated by his little girl's condition, Jean Claude flies back to his native Belgium in order to find solace. After an odd encounter with small time crooks, his life and perception by the public will be changed forever.

From a direction/scriptwriting point of view, the movie is somewhat lacking focus. It's relying a bit too much on inside jokes and heist movie clichés, for better or worse. There are some truly great moments (the opening scene is hilarious - any scene using Baby Huey's "Hard Times" tune cannot be bad anyway; the court scenes are cleverly written and the very last shot finds a perfect balance of emotion without being overblown or tear-jerking) and the whole film deserves praise for being original and clever. However it stretches some scenes way too much, uses an awful bleached color scheme that could turn off some people (it's just a detail, but it annoyed me throughout the whole screening) and uses unnecessary flashbacks instead of sticking to a more tight storytelling, which could've benefited the movie in my humble opinion.

However, these little flaws are nothing compared to the enormous heart this movie displays. Jean Claude Van Damme may not be Daniel Day Lewis or Sean Penn, but he gives an astounding performance in this film. He's very comfortable in the comical scenes, but his acting chops really shine when the movie gets emotional. His long monologue, looking at the camera, and the audience (and perhaps even God) is nothing short of amazing. In his own words, he really begs for a second chance not only in his career, but in life. He's incredibly moving (acting in his native language helps a lot) and above all doesn't try to pretend he's something more than a washed up movie star, with a somewhat limited vocabulary. He just asks for one more chance, and judging by this flick he truly deserves it.

Overall, a nice surprise for those unfamiliar with "the Muscles from Brussels" and a refreshing comedy. Except a few complaints about the pace and the direction it's a highly recommended movie. And hopefully the beginning of a new career for JCVD.