A Jean-Claude Van Damme movie unlike any of his other films. In JCVD he plays a version of himself that is human and even vulnerable.The reason this film stumbles, however, is because of a young director who was trying to make it too "artsy." It would have played out much better straightforward, in my opinion.

Jean-Claude Van Damme gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages situation and reflects about his life during it. I never really understood why this movie is ranked higher than most Van Damme movies but also why it's got so many great reviews to begin with. It was pretty damn boring but also cheesy and stupid and most of the 'comedic' parts? Hardly even worked for me. If you wanna see the better version of JCVD? Go and watch 'Jean Claude Van Johnson' is a better project in pretty much every shape and form than this garbage fire. (0/10)

I try to enter every movie with an open mind. I bailed on this one after 20 minutes.

Without a doubt the most atypical film in the actor's long career, JCVD sees Van Damme playing himself, caught up in an unlikely spiral of events in a small Belgium town. This little, low-budget, self-referencing film ended up becoming a darling of the critics, with many declaiming it as Van Damme's best (they were chagrined when he went back to making action knock-offs straight after). It's a film that fans of the star will undoubtedly enjoy, although others might just find it a little passé.The plot is nothing new: the story of an ill-thought-out post office robbery that quickly turns into a hostage situation, complete with a media frenzy outside, is as old as the hills and has been done better in the past. The low budget is evident throughout and El Mechri's direction weaves between overdone attempts at style and some decent tracking shots (the opening sequence is certainly visually arresting). The music is overblown and the supporting cast do the job without ever being great. Still...This film belongs to Van Damme himself. He's at his best when winking at himself, playing a tired, messed-up star who found himself thrown in at the deep end in Hollywood, blew it all on drugs and fame and is now trying his best to keep clean and make ends meet for his estranged family members. His acclaimed five minute monologue to the camera is by far the best thing in the film and the best Van Damme has been as an actor; he's likable and deeply flawed here, a thoroughly interesting creation. How much of it is what he's like in real life is difficult to say, but it's clear that the version of Van Damme we see on film here is very close to the real one.In terms of pacing, the film starts off very slow and disjointed but hits the mark around the forty-minute mark. There are a few scenes of excitement along the way and a couple of high-kicks from the action hero, but those looking for thrills should go elsewhere. JCVD is as close to an art-house film as the martial arts actor is ever going to get: a knowing, post-modern look at the life of a fallen star.