Jean-Claude Van Damme. Action hero. The ‘Muscles from Brussels’. If you don’t know the man, you’ve been living under a rock. Bringing his karate skills to mainstream Hollywood (along with director John Woo), Van Damme’s glory days of the 80’s and 90’s were rivalled but rarely conquered. It was inconceivable that his fortune could turn – but as JCVD shows, it did.

We first see Van Damme doing what he does best – kicking the crap out of gang members to save a distressed damsel. When we see the nature of his work, being forced to do more than his body can handle (“I’m 47 years old!”), it’s obvious the love of his work isn’t the primary reason for the job. In the middle of a child custody battle, Van Damme returns to hometown Brussels where he is still considered a hero for living a dream. A simple trip to the post office during his struggles turns nasty where his star power is used against him.

It’s a case of art imitating life for Van Damme, where a washed up actor struggling for money will do anything to make life easier. Director and co-screenwriter Mabrouk El Mechri draws on this in his story, throwing in the action along with desperation and quite a bit of humour. What we get is a fast paced, stylised film set in chapters, with Run Lola Run-like flashbacks telling us different elements of the story to get to one point. Harsh lighting on Van Damme highlights his age, along with the news he’s been beaten to a role by Steven Seagal (who declared he’d cut his ponytail! Shock horror!). As washed up as Van Damme may be, he’s a good guy who gets caught up in some bad business. This is particularly shown in a touching monologue, showing talent worlds apart from his usual abilities.

JCVD is a real ride. The pace is slowed down inside the post office but frantic scenes in the street outside show us a real urgency to the situation – public protesters supporting Van Damme and the Police Commissioner reduced to his boxers when trying to reason with the offenders. The camera work, with both hand-held and steady shots, is used effectively, with the bleak tones casting aging shadows and an uneasy feeling.

Verdict:

A washed up actor reinventing himself – as himself. What a genius. JCVD holds because of the bleak visuals, simple story and really, because we all want the underdog to rise from the bottom, don’t we?

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JCVD screens apart of the 2009 Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival.

Tickets are still available for a second screening on the 27th Feb at 7:40 PM. For more information, visit the BAFF website here.

For more reviews and features from the Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival, visit the page devoted to our coverage  here.

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