Olivier, De Niro, Hoffman ... Van Damme? A detail from the poster of JCVD
"He opens his heart and offers the audience the performance of his life,"; "subtle, funny, and capable of self-deprecation, he acts convincingly"; a performance "that is not only touching, but troubling and moving too". These reviews aren't for Ian McKellen or Sean Penn. They are for Jean-Claude Van Damme, the muscles from Brussels.
Unusually for the action star, he is receiving rave reviews from snooty critics for his performance in JCVD, a fake autobiographical movie currently out in French cinemas. The plot sees him back in Belgium after his Hollywood career crashed and burned: he is fighting with the taxman, he may lose custody of his daughter and (gasp) Steven Seagal beat him to the latest action part. At the post office, he gets embroiled in a hostage crisis and reveals his existentialist musings to the world.
From the online clips available, Van Damage is brilliant in this Spinal Tap-like feature and reveals a fantastic dramatic flair. So after Sly Stallone, maybe it's time to recognise Jean-Claude as the talented thesp he is?
