J.C.V.D.

The most popular Belgian actor of all time plays himself - or at least someone who looks suspiciously like him - in this fiction film about the troubled personal life of a public hero. Jean-Claude Van Damme, aka The Muscles from Brussels, has just returned to his city of birth and wants to transfer money at a local post office when he is kidnapped during a bank raid. In no time the police and media make him the main suspect and the result is an international media hype.
Fans who hope for a visual resumé of Van Damme's work are served in the opening scene. But El Mechri succeeds in transforming the mixture of action film, satire, psychological drama and pastiche in a gripping way into an existential reflection on the vulnerability of stardom. The wonderful monologue with which Van Damme turns to the viewer is almost too beautiful to be true and J.C.V.D. proves himself to be an excellent actor on the spot.
Alongside the often humorous asides and plot inventions, El Mechri manages to create a surprising emotional undertone in his second feature - a worldwide surprise hit. Painful private issues are also tackled, such as losing custody of his daughter, an empty bank account and his competition with Steven Seagal. (GT)