Overall VD: 5
As a crowd favorite, this rating might seem low to some. However, after watching Kickboxer right on the heels of Bloodsport it became very apparent that much of the script was lifted--directly at times--from JCVD’s previous movie. The villain, Tong Po, uses sign language to say “I will crush you;” there is a training montage; he is the first westerner to complete a victory in the setting presented; he is tied to a tree doing the splits.
JCVD Exposure: 5
This rating is exactly between 0 and 10 because JCVD’s exposure left us cold, disgusted, enthused, and turned on in spades--about equally throughout. On the negative side there were double pleated pants, cowboy boots, and an open jean sleeveless vest. And that’s just one outfit. There was also a razor back tank top that zipped in the front and suspender type...sleeves? We don’t even know what to call them. Then he danced. For a ballet student we can’t say his rhythm was bad, but that’s all we can say wasn’t bad. There was gyrating. There was hip thrusting. We never thought these things could be unattractive when performed by JCVD, but somehow he found a way. There was nothing hot about that dance scene; even making allowance for his drunkenness it just came out as bad white boy dancing.
On the other hand, once the training got under way his wardrobe switched to piratey-shorts that showed off his awesome legs (he has GREAT hamstrings) and he wore few shirts. He was also sweaty and/or wet for almost every scene.
There was no sexy time, which was a disappointment, but there was magic sexy seduction in the forest that ended with a reasonably hot kiss. When the only real sexy time in the film, however, is a rape scene points must be deducted.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 7
The fighting was by far the best part of the film. There were multiple instances (mostly during training) that we rewound and watched JCVD roundhouse kick, jump kick, or generally kick ass a second time. There also a scene Kate has dubbed “poetry in motion” where JCVD roundhouse kicks in front of the trainer’s face multiple times--we weren’t able to count them because they were simply too fast and awe-inspiring.
The end fight was also stupendous; the cinematography, sketchy and cheap throughout was better executed. The lighting was more impressive and the scene set to create better pathos (tiki torches are always good). While the fight starts with rope bound hands dipped in resin and broken glass, JCVD ultimately triumphs when he removes the rope and fights as an ancient warrior would--with honor and integrity!
The Effect of Others on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 3
Kickboxer also lifted much of the relationships from Bloodsport or, in all fairness, used stock archetypal characters and relationships, but nothing about the characters or relationships was original or well executed. Tong Po, aside from the sign language, was actually the best executed role in the film; when first introduced he is delightfully intimidating, but the rest of the film didn’t build off his villainous nature effectively. Furthermore, it was a little confusing who was the villain; there were mob bosses and henchmen, there was Tong Po, and there was never any clarity offered that explained how they all fit together into the context of the story.
And then there was the brother. While paralyzed and used to forward the story line, the brother would have ultimately been more empathetic if he had died. He was, what a cultured person might refer to as, a Douchasaurus-Rex. This was shown outwardly through his balding Geri-curl.
Adding to the brother’s issues and the rest of the film’s problems, were the badly executed gender messages. The woman is beautiful, fleshed out, and well acted, but she is also raped, chooses silence in order to protect him (SO 1989) and following the final fight and victory he greets the DOG before he greets the WOMAN HE LOVES. Nevermind that when he finds out he looks at her as if he is betrayed and gets angry at her. BECAUSE SHE GOT RAPED. Cause it was totally her fault. We know she asked for it. She shouldn’t have been selling produce in that lascivious manner.
The role of women in the film is also exacerbated by the Thai sex-kitten strippers seen throughout, the brother’s engagement in prostitution, and the brother pinching the nurse’s ass in the hospital causing the male doctor to laugh and offer a “knowing” wink. I don’t care if you are paralyzed; you better have just saved a baby to get away with behavior like that. There were also uncomfortable racial undertones; the viewer was given the impression that his behavior was acceptable a) because she was a woman and b) because she wasn’t white. Everything about the sexual plotlines seem imbued with the message “she doesn’t matter.”
There was also a token black sidekick in this movie, and while, like Joshua he was the most enjoyable and possibly the best acted, his character remained shallow and underdeveloped. Again, stock archetypal characters with little originality.
Over all Kickboxer was enjoyable for one of us and bored the other one. Kate feels it important to point out that Jess’ enjoyment was largely nostalgic (she first watched it when 16 it’s true) but it is, speaking of bad gender messages, true that this movie would be better served if watched on mute. And fast forwarding through the bad outfits and bad dancing.
We do want to offer kudos to the good silhouette training scenes; the cinematography was better than Bloodsport in those few moments, and genuine empathy was created for the character.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Timecop
Overall VD Rating: 4 (This movie would be a 7 but mullets are an automatic 3 point deduction)
Timecop Lesson: Don’t climb steep roofs in the rain to escape men with evil mullets.
Time cop Philosophical Question: What if JCVD ended the space/time continuum?
This is an important question to ponder as “the same matter can’t occupy the same space.” We were worried JCVD was going to accidentally roundhouse kick himself there for a minute; the universe seemed to be in peril.
JCVD Exposure: 8
That we award this category an 8 IN SPITE OF THE MULLET speaks for itself I believe. Not only was there sexy time (!) complete with boobs, tongue, ass, and more boobs, but he is wet for well over half of this movie. There is also double the JCVD fun in some scenes which creates a decade’s worth of awesomeness. We wouldn’t mind a bite of that sandwich.
He fights in boxers (teeny tiny boxers) then gets wet (WET!) in the boxers then jumps up onto the counter and washer/dryer to do the splits and avoid 50,000 volts running through the water that had just got him so delightfully wet. We realize this would normally go into boot-to-face contact, but if doing the splits in boxers (WET) isn’t exposure, we don’t know what is.
He was also incredibly emotive; perhaps we were extra appreciative coming off of Bloodsport, but the scene where he sits on the couch watching old home videos of his dead wife drinking (again) and quoting what he said in the video pathetically attempting to grasp the past, we were genuinely moved. The scene where he finds out his (now) dead wife was pregnant is also excellently executed.
JCVD Relationship Lesson: Don’t marry JCVD. You will die.
JCVD Boot Face Action: 5
The fights scenes started out strong, but fizzled towards the end. When Fielding, the spunky partner played by Grace Reuben picks a fight with him we thought for sure we were in for some good inter-gender ass-kicking, but no. Timecop thwarted and disappointed us.
Also, the time bubbles were less than spectacularly executed; there were some unfortunate (UNFORTUNATE) blue screen shots that reminded me of claymation movies a la 1980. Speaking of which...
The science was awful. We didn’t know exactly where to put our science gripes, but as the time bubbles took away from the fight scenes boot-to-face makes sense. If you are going to do time travel, make sure you have your mythos down. Is there one timeline or multiple timelines? If you go back in time do you change as your former self changes? Or are you protected as you are out of the space/time continuum? These are questions that must be thought out prior to the filming process. It is unacceptable to decide that some people are affected when their younger self is affected, but JCVD stands alone. He’s awesome, but we aren’t sure he can survive outside the known laws of physics.
In fact we hope he can’t. That would be intense.
Also, the “matter occupying own space” crap was a horrible monster from the 13th dimension cop out. If you run into yourself and ruin the time space continuum it doesn’t make sense that you would turn into a bubble demon from hell and slowly seep into the floor. If the both of you combine into some weird demonic entity, your matter is still occupying the same space. Read a sci-fi novel people.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 8
To begin with we finally have good, strong, well-developed female characters. The wife is autonomous, sexy, and intelligent (except for the running up the roof thing). Fielding the morally bi-polar field agent is also independent, intelligent, tough, and sexy. It should be pointed out that this movie had a significantly larger budget than previous films, so perhaps they were able to better afford high caliber actresses like Mia Sara. After filming Legend I’m sure she commanded a high salary.
The villain was named Senator McComb is notable because his name was McComb which is further proof that all things named McComb are evil (even if it’s spelled differently).
The child, while absent throughout the film, was still a palpable presence that drove the plotline and played an integral part in JCVD’s actions. This was the most impressive fetus ever in a plotline. The kid at the end of the movie didn’t have much opportunity to draw out JCVD’s best acting moments, but that could have been a blessing as the child actors employed have been as painful as not.
Visions of the Future:
In 1994 they imagined that in 2004 we would all ride around in armored Delorian limos. They were wrong.
Mullets apparently were still in fashion, but looking at the current 80’s revival of shirt dresses and leggings under skirts under jeans with spandex over it all, we can’t fault them for that prediction over much.
In 2004 you will be able to have V.R. sex with full nudity on the part of the programmed female model. Is it sad we can date our JCVD movies by the cut of the pubic hair?
Memorable Mentions:
Sexy sax music and sad sax music. JCVD loves him some sax.
His mullet was not Billy Ray Cyrus and for that we were grateful.
There was a wrench to the face. ‘Nuff said.
The credits song is nominated for “Least Crappy Music in a JCVD Movie”
Overall we both enjoyed this movie much more than we thought we would, mullet notwithstanding. It was fun. It was super-future-isitic (said with a lisp) and there was sexy time and rain and smart women. What more could a girl ask for?
Timecop Lesson: Don’t climb steep roofs in the rain to escape men with evil mullets.
Time cop Philosophical Question: What if JCVD ended the space/time continuum?
This is an important question to ponder as “the same matter can’t occupy the same space.” We were worried JCVD was going to accidentally roundhouse kick himself there for a minute; the universe seemed to be in peril.
JCVD Exposure: 8
That we award this category an 8 IN SPITE OF THE MULLET speaks for itself I believe. Not only was there sexy time (!) complete with boobs, tongue, ass, and more boobs, but he is wet for well over half of this movie. There is also double the JCVD fun in some scenes which creates a decade’s worth of awesomeness. We wouldn’t mind a bite of that sandwich.
He fights in boxers (teeny tiny boxers) then gets wet (WET!) in the boxers then jumps up onto the counter and washer/dryer to do the splits and avoid 50,000 volts running through the water that had just got him so delightfully wet. We realize this would normally go into boot-to-face contact, but if doing the splits in boxers (WET) isn’t exposure, we don’t know what is.
He was also incredibly emotive; perhaps we were extra appreciative coming off of Bloodsport, but the scene where he sits on the couch watching old home videos of his dead wife drinking (again) and quoting what he said in the video pathetically attempting to grasp the past, we were genuinely moved. The scene where he finds out his (now) dead wife was pregnant is also excellently executed.
JCVD Relationship Lesson: Don’t marry JCVD. You will die.
JCVD Boot Face Action: 5
The fights scenes started out strong, but fizzled towards the end. When Fielding, the spunky partner played by Grace Reuben picks a fight with him we thought for sure we were in for some good inter-gender ass-kicking, but no. Timecop thwarted and disappointed us.
Also, the time bubbles were less than spectacularly executed; there were some unfortunate (UNFORTUNATE) blue screen shots that reminded me of claymation movies a la 1980. Speaking of which...
The science was awful. We didn’t know exactly where to put our science gripes, but as the time bubbles took away from the fight scenes boot-to-face makes sense. If you are going to do time travel, make sure you have your mythos down. Is there one timeline or multiple timelines? If you go back in time do you change as your former self changes? Or are you protected as you are out of the space/time continuum? These are questions that must be thought out prior to the filming process. It is unacceptable to decide that some people are affected when their younger self is affected, but JCVD stands alone. He’s awesome, but we aren’t sure he can survive outside the known laws of physics.
In fact we hope he can’t. That would be intense.
Also, the “matter occupying own space” crap was a horrible monster from the 13th dimension cop out. If you run into yourself and ruin the time space continuum it doesn’t make sense that you would turn into a bubble demon from hell and slowly seep into the floor. If the both of you combine into some weird demonic entity, your matter is still occupying the same space. Read a sci-fi novel people.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 8
To begin with we finally have good, strong, well-developed female characters. The wife is autonomous, sexy, and intelligent (except for the running up the roof thing). Fielding the morally bi-polar field agent is also independent, intelligent, tough, and sexy. It should be pointed out that this movie had a significantly larger budget than previous films, so perhaps they were able to better afford high caliber actresses like Mia Sara. After filming Legend I’m sure she commanded a high salary.
The villain was named Senator McComb is notable because his name was McComb which is further proof that all things named McComb are evil (even if it’s spelled differently).
The child, while absent throughout the film, was still a palpable presence that drove the plotline and played an integral part in JCVD’s actions. This was the most impressive fetus ever in a plotline. The kid at the end of the movie didn’t have much opportunity to draw out JCVD’s best acting moments, but that could have been a blessing as the child actors employed have been as painful as not.
Visions of the Future:
In 1994 they imagined that in 2004 we would all ride around in armored Delorian limos. They were wrong.
Mullets apparently were still in fashion, but looking at the current 80’s revival of shirt dresses and leggings under skirts under jeans with spandex over it all, we can’t fault them for that prediction over much.
In 2004 you will be able to have V.R. sex with full nudity on the part of the programmed female model. Is it sad we can date our JCVD movies by the cut of the pubic hair?
Memorable Mentions:
Sexy sax music and sad sax music. JCVD loves him some sax.
His mullet was not Billy Ray Cyrus and for that we were grateful.
There was a wrench to the face. ‘Nuff said.
The credits song is nominated for “Least Crappy Music in a JCVD Movie”
Overall we both enjoyed this movie much more than we thought we would, mullet notwithstanding. It was fun. It was super-future-isitic (said with a lisp) and there was sexy time and rain and smart women. What more could a girl ask for?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Bloodsport
Overall VD Rating: 7
JCVD’s first movie, the hero quest reigns supreme in this tale. There is a heavy emphasis on Eastern martial arts culture with training scenes that offer substance and weight to the final battle. Bloodsport feels more like a martial arts film than an action film and the heavy themes of mind-body-spirit working in unison support this idea of fighting as an expression of self and overcoming the self even more than the opponent. This stands out in sharp relief to other films more oriented towards action that seek to offer shiny thrills without foundation or meaning. The training montage at the beginning set up the whole movie as a tale about Frank Dux’s growth as a character instead of his success as victor. This movie is as much about winning the right way as it is about good vs. evil.
JCVD Exposure: 9
There is a lot of exposure in this film. We have yet again a well placed shot of JCVD pulling on underwear; unfortunately said dressing happens the morning after sexy time and his skills as a lover are never explicated. It appears from his good morning/good bye kiss that JCVD, at least young JCVD, is not the best kisser--that was unfortunate.
During the fight scenes he wears a full gi for most of the movie, but as the tournament progresses his shirt is thoughtfully ripped off by an opponent in his pent-ultimate fight. As he prepares to fight the championship he removes shirt and pants for as little clothing restriction as possible; we saw it as excellent exposure.
There was a lot of man cleavage in this movie. It could be retitled Battle of the Man Boobs as JCVD weighing in with a D cup fights Chong Li who sported at least a set of F’s. If you doubt us, you need only view Chong Li’s gratuitous boob flexing before and after several fights. We have to wonder if Mr. Hollywood from Mike Tyson’s Punchout didn’t owe at least a little to this movie.
Points were lost for ridiculous barbaric yawps. For almost all of the championship fight JCVD sports crazy eyes, veins bulging, while he screams to the heavens. It isn’t even real time screaming, but badly dubbed screaming where you can’t imagine the mouth on screen is producing the sounds coming out of the television. His first foray into acting showed some raw edges; he hasn’t mastered his subtle facial ticks or quiet suffering (or the English language). This made almost any scene that relied solely on the acting slightly comic and painful to watch.
When he took his shirt off we noticed less.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 9
This movie sported the best boot to face action seen to date. The fight scenes were excellently edited and rooted in the training successfully. As a viewer you believed he would succeed because you knew how hard he had prepared; it was known that Frank Dux in the movie had mastered a set of skills that went beyond simple badassery that is used to carry less developed characters. The other fighters were also exceptional in their skill and entertainment; this was accentuated by the different styles exhibited. Everything from Jackson’s American head-butting I run over everything technique, to another competitor’s mimicking of animals. It was fairly disturbing to watch monkey man hop around the mat because he so thoroughly portrayed himself as more animal than human. This attention to small detail made the Kumate come across as a more believable tournament geared towards the world’s best fighters.
His skills were exhibited impressively in this movie. The cinematography while not exceptional throughout, showed particular continuous shots that clearly portrayed JCVD doing his own stunts; his trademark splits were used spectacularly several times. At one point while tied to two trees and trussed up like a duck in Julia Child‘s cookbook, he pulls himself out of the splits, ripping the ropes and bolts out of their anchor. He also defeats the Sumo wrestler with a combination split, crotch-shot under skirt attack.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 3
The supporting roles were less than spectacular. Mr. Lynn was our best specimen and he was a tiny Chinese man in a track suit and aviators sporting a mullet and sketchy facial hair. Jackson, not so convincingly played by Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds, seemed too over the top. His slightly dubious hygiene and less than impressive fighting skills were more a distraction than a foil for Frank Dux. The love interest was once again not hot enough, though, in all fairness her 1988 permed hair didn’t help. She was, perhaps, one of the best actresses we’ve seen, but she betrays JCVD! That’s unacceptable! Her role seems to be based almost entirely on the audience’s acceptance of her as an ambitious reporter who will do anything to get the story but doesn’t understand the larger theme of fighting and honor. She is a disposable character that betrays him to the FBI agents, and her only real purpose seemed to be a vehicle to make the illustrious underwear scene plausible.
I suppose when viewed that way she isn’t all bad.
There were no kids! In the flashback scenes there were kids, but there is no interaction between adult JCVD and a young child which is something we have grown to see as an integral part of his characters. JCVD is never quite so emotive as when acting opposite an eight year old.
Points also must be deducted for a really ridiculous music choice during his crisis of self. The chorus was (we kid you not) “I can be strong on my own.” We threw up a little bit in our mouths. We’re willing to watch JCVD ride around on a train looking forlorn, but there better be something better than whiny-esque Debarge type singers providing a soundtrack. Even the damn saxophone would have been better. This falls under this category because said crisis happens when aforementioned Jackson is wounded and crazy reporter woman yells at him.
Speaking of which, who sleeps with a fighter and then yells at him for fighting? She crazy.
Memorable Moments:
The championship match will forever be known as the Battle of the Pectorals.
Nothing is quite so awesome as doing the splits except perhaps doing the splits shirtless on two chairs, while gently glistening with sweat on one’s well muscled torso.
Every montage is made better with 80’s rock music.
Sign language is an effective method of communicating “I will crush you.”
In conclusion neither of us regrets giving this movie 80 minutes of our lives. This film is a canonical JCVD work, and aptly demonstrates how he become the Muscles from Brussels while providing a launching point for the legend. This movie defines him without limiting him, and it’s easy after watching it to understand why people were so excited to see the films that followed.
If they had tapped Kenny Loggins for the musical score we might have given this an 8.
JCVD’s first movie, the hero quest reigns supreme in this tale. There is a heavy emphasis on Eastern martial arts culture with training scenes that offer substance and weight to the final battle. Bloodsport feels more like a martial arts film than an action film and the heavy themes of mind-body-spirit working in unison support this idea of fighting as an expression of self and overcoming the self even more than the opponent. This stands out in sharp relief to other films more oriented towards action that seek to offer shiny thrills without foundation or meaning. The training montage at the beginning set up the whole movie as a tale about Frank Dux’s growth as a character instead of his success as victor. This movie is as much about winning the right way as it is about good vs. evil.
JCVD Exposure: 9
There is a lot of exposure in this film. We have yet again a well placed shot of JCVD pulling on underwear; unfortunately said dressing happens the morning after sexy time and his skills as a lover are never explicated. It appears from his good morning/good bye kiss that JCVD, at least young JCVD, is not the best kisser--that was unfortunate.
During the fight scenes he wears a full gi for most of the movie, but as the tournament progresses his shirt is thoughtfully ripped off by an opponent in his pent-ultimate fight. As he prepares to fight the championship he removes shirt and pants for as little clothing restriction as possible; we saw it as excellent exposure.
There was a lot of man cleavage in this movie. It could be retitled Battle of the Man Boobs as JCVD weighing in with a D cup fights Chong Li who sported at least a set of F’s. If you doubt us, you need only view Chong Li’s gratuitous boob flexing before and after several fights. We have to wonder if Mr. Hollywood from Mike Tyson’s Punchout didn’t owe at least a little to this movie.
Points were lost for ridiculous barbaric yawps. For almost all of the championship fight JCVD sports crazy eyes, veins bulging, while he screams to the heavens. It isn’t even real time screaming, but badly dubbed screaming where you can’t imagine the mouth on screen is producing the sounds coming out of the television. His first foray into acting showed some raw edges; he hasn’t mastered his subtle facial ticks or quiet suffering (or the English language). This made almost any scene that relied solely on the acting slightly comic and painful to watch.
When he took his shirt off we noticed less.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 9
This movie sported the best boot to face action seen to date. The fight scenes were excellently edited and rooted in the training successfully. As a viewer you believed he would succeed because you knew how hard he had prepared; it was known that Frank Dux in the movie had mastered a set of skills that went beyond simple badassery that is used to carry less developed characters. The other fighters were also exceptional in their skill and entertainment; this was accentuated by the different styles exhibited. Everything from Jackson’s American head-butting I run over everything technique, to another competitor’s mimicking of animals. It was fairly disturbing to watch monkey man hop around the mat because he so thoroughly portrayed himself as more animal than human. This attention to small detail made the Kumate come across as a more believable tournament geared towards the world’s best fighters.
His skills were exhibited impressively in this movie. The cinematography while not exceptional throughout, showed particular continuous shots that clearly portrayed JCVD doing his own stunts; his trademark splits were used spectacularly several times. At one point while tied to two trees and trussed up like a duck in Julia Child‘s cookbook, he pulls himself out of the splits, ripping the ropes and bolts out of their anchor. He also defeats the Sumo wrestler with a combination split, crotch-shot under skirt attack.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 3
The supporting roles were less than spectacular. Mr. Lynn was our best specimen and he was a tiny Chinese man in a track suit and aviators sporting a mullet and sketchy facial hair. Jackson, not so convincingly played by Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds, seemed too over the top. His slightly dubious hygiene and less than impressive fighting skills were more a distraction than a foil for Frank Dux. The love interest was once again not hot enough, though, in all fairness her 1988 permed hair didn’t help. She was, perhaps, one of the best actresses we’ve seen, but she betrays JCVD! That’s unacceptable! Her role seems to be based almost entirely on the audience’s acceptance of her as an ambitious reporter who will do anything to get the story but doesn’t understand the larger theme of fighting and honor. She is a disposable character that betrays him to the FBI agents, and her only real purpose seemed to be a vehicle to make the illustrious underwear scene plausible.
I suppose when viewed that way she isn’t all bad.
There were no kids! In the flashback scenes there were kids, but there is no interaction between adult JCVD and a young child which is something we have grown to see as an integral part of his characters. JCVD is never quite so emotive as when acting opposite an eight year old.
Points also must be deducted for a really ridiculous music choice during his crisis of self. The chorus was (we kid you not) “I can be strong on my own.” We threw up a little bit in our mouths. We’re willing to watch JCVD ride around on a train looking forlorn, but there better be something better than whiny-esque Debarge type singers providing a soundtrack. Even the damn saxophone would have been better. This falls under this category because said crisis happens when aforementioned Jackson is wounded and crazy reporter woman yells at him.
Speaking of which, who sleeps with a fighter and then yells at him for fighting? She crazy.
Memorable Moments:
The championship match will forever be known as the Battle of the Pectorals.
Nothing is quite so awesome as doing the splits except perhaps doing the splits shirtless on two chairs, while gently glistening with sweat on one’s well muscled torso.
Every montage is made better with 80’s rock music.
Sign language is an effective method of communicating “I will crush you.”
In conclusion neither of us regrets giving this movie 80 minutes of our lives. This film is a canonical JCVD work, and aptly demonstrates how he become the Muscles from Brussels while providing a launching point for the legend. This movie defines him without limiting him, and it’s easy after watching it to understand why people were so excited to see the films that followed.
If they had tapped Kenny Loggins for the musical score we might have given this an 8.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
JCVD Life Lesson #3: Bourdieu vs. JCVD
“The aesthetic disposition which tends to bracket off the nature and function of the object represented and to exclude any naive reaction--horror at the horrible, desire for the desirable--along with all purely ethical responses, in order to concentrate solely upon the mode of representation...is one dimension of a total relation to the world and to others, a life-style, in which the effects of particular conditions of existence are expressed in a mis-recognizable form...[this] can only be constituted within an experience of the world freed from urgency and through the practice of activities which are an end in themselves, such as scholastic exercises or the contemplation of works of art.” (Bourdieu, “Aristocracy of Culture” 251)
What the hell does all of that mean? It’s not a bad question. What I’m going to explore here is the question of JCVD as high or low art, and whether or not such a delineation should even be considered in our JCVD project.
I was reading Bourdieu (obviously) and I couldn’t help but think of Kate and I’s little project here. There are those that have expressed shock and dismay at our goal, and there are some that mocked us until they saw us in action--we are impressive deconstructionists I do have to say (if you only knew all the observations that don’t make it to the final draft). But as I considered high art vs. low art, specifically the judgment passed immediately on a person based on the type of art they prefer, I began to be irritated by the either/or requirement of society’s approach.
That is to say, Mr. Bourdieu is pointing out above and in his article that society requires if one is to achieve an aesthetic disposition--the ability to engage and appreciate high art--the viewer must be able to appreciate form over meaning and to extract him or herself from a goal orientated approach. You watch an independent film, for example, and comment on the cinematography and lighting, but care nothing for the emotional response it elicits. A more popular example would be There Will Be Blood; aesthetically speaking it is a beautifully made movie. All the parts--the images, the words, the acting--are individually amazing, but for many popular movie-goers (i.e. those who prefer “low art”) the experience was unfulfilling and disheartening.
I would argue that in our society one is perceived to either like high art or low art. Those are the categories we try to shove people into: male or female, gay or straight, educated or not, tasteful and discerning or crass and ignorant. But why can’t particular works straddle the line? Specifically, why can’t particular works be used to demonstrate there is no line?
Take our JCVD movies; as we travel back in time to the “classics” there is a very different caliber of movie being made. But as Kate and I deconstruct the movies our goal doesn’t have to be a thinly veiled attempt at mocking “high art”. We aren’t engaging in a scholastic exercise or contemplation which is an end unto itself, nor are we sharing only our horror at the horrible parts and our desire for the desirable parts. Hopefully we’re doing both, or, at least, that is the idea. And this is worth considering, I would argue, because as a viewer a naive reaction can be enjoyed--it is exciting when JCVD takes off his shirt, does the splits and crotch-shots the bad guy--while simultaneously our aversion to particular female characters or their representations can be examined for embedded gender roles. A preference for a darker movie versus a lighter one can be considered in an aesthetic versus philosophical light: does one like sad endings because the pathos (emotional appeal) is more appealing or does one like sad endings because one has a deeply jaded and broken view of the world? Both of those questions are viable and worth answering, and both can be explored with high and low art.
And each JCVD movie, while entertaining and painful in its own right, has revealed the possibility for aesthetic detachment, noble education, and emotional enticement as existing in every work. Should students be taught JCVD instead of Shakespeare? Possibly not. But if a student wants to write an analysis paper on Bloodsport should s/he be denied only because it’s Bloodsport? If a viewer is incapable of recognizing why someone else would enjoy a JCVD movie, is that not just as much of a failure as someone who was incapable of enjoying anything else?
As the field of Pop Culture expands and explores the effects and social reinforcements of our “popular” entertainment there is the simultaneous pressure to present “scholarly academic work” while also remaining “entertaining.” We are serious academics, but it is popular culture after all. When the two are set up in opposition, however, an almost untenable tension is created that restricts movement back and forth between the two approaches. This tension also strengthens the cultural hierarchy of real art, meant to educate, from low ball stuff meant to entertain.
When I began watching the older movies with Kate, I had a slight panic attack. What in all of the known universe were we going to offer about Double Impact or Double Team? (Despite not having watched them yet, I just know those two are going to be rough.) JCVD was ripe with conversational possibilities but what could be garnered from Lionheart that wasn’t a dreadfully obvious attempt at forcing meaning? But then I read Bourdieu and I remembered: it isn’t about the themes, or the cinematography, or even the slightly dubious early acting of Mr. JCVD himself. It’s about being completely entertained by simplistic plots that don’t want to confuse you or upset you, and that simple entertainment (if we can call any entertainment simple) is not a waste of time.
In any experience of enjoyment or disappointment the possibility exists of examining one’s own personal ethical, moral, and aesthetic code. Low art can be used to achieve this as easily as, if not more effectively than, high art. It is easy to be distracted by the themes, metaphors, and allegories of high art, but low art leaves you nothing to think about or discuss outside yourself and your reactions. That can be disconcerting, annoying, and lonely, but it can also be revealing, entertaining, and humorous.
So I hope to bring an aspect of the pure gaze to our JCVD movies, an aesthetic appreciation if you will, but I hope neither the fun nor the aestheticism gets subsumed by the other.
JCVD wins!!
What the hell does all of that mean? It’s not a bad question. What I’m going to explore here is the question of JCVD as high or low art, and whether or not such a delineation should even be considered in our JCVD project.
I was reading Bourdieu (obviously) and I couldn’t help but think of Kate and I’s little project here. There are those that have expressed shock and dismay at our goal, and there are some that mocked us until they saw us in action--we are impressive deconstructionists I do have to say (if you only knew all the observations that don’t make it to the final draft). But as I considered high art vs. low art, specifically the judgment passed immediately on a person based on the type of art they prefer, I began to be irritated by the either/or requirement of society’s approach.
That is to say, Mr. Bourdieu is pointing out above and in his article that society requires if one is to achieve an aesthetic disposition--the ability to engage and appreciate high art--the viewer must be able to appreciate form over meaning and to extract him or herself from a goal orientated approach. You watch an independent film, for example, and comment on the cinematography and lighting, but care nothing for the emotional response it elicits. A more popular example would be There Will Be Blood; aesthetically speaking it is a beautifully made movie. All the parts--the images, the words, the acting--are individually amazing, but for many popular movie-goers (i.e. those who prefer “low art”) the experience was unfulfilling and disheartening.
I would argue that in our society one is perceived to either like high art or low art. Those are the categories we try to shove people into: male or female, gay or straight, educated or not, tasteful and discerning or crass and ignorant. But why can’t particular works straddle the line? Specifically, why can’t particular works be used to demonstrate there is no line?
Take our JCVD movies; as we travel back in time to the “classics” there is a very different caliber of movie being made. But as Kate and I deconstruct the movies our goal doesn’t have to be a thinly veiled attempt at mocking “high art”. We aren’t engaging in a scholastic exercise or contemplation which is an end unto itself, nor are we sharing only our horror at the horrible parts and our desire for the desirable parts. Hopefully we’re doing both, or, at least, that is the idea. And this is worth considering, I would argue, because as a viewer a naive reaction can be enjoyed--it is exciting when JCVD takes off his shirt, does the splits and crotch-shots the bad guy--while simultaneously our aversion to particular female characters or their representations can be examined for embedded gender roles. A preference for a darker movie versus a lighter one can be considered in an aesthetic versus philosophical light: does one like sad endings because the pathos (emotional appeal) is more appealing or does one like sad endings because one has a deeply jaded and broken view of the world? Both of those questions are viable and worth answering, and both can be explored with high and low art.
And each JCVD movie, while entertaining and painful in its own right, has revealed the possibility for aesthetic detachment, noble education, and emotional enticement as existing in every work. Should students be taught JCVD instead of Shakespeare? Possibly not. But if a student wants to write an analysis paper on Bloodsport should s/he be denied only because it’s Bloodsport? If a viewer is incapable of recognizing why someone else would enjoy a JCVD movie, is that not just as much of a failure as someone who was incapable of enjoying anything else?
As the field of Pop Culture expands and explores the effects and social reinforcements of our “popular” entertainment there is the simultaneous pressure to present “scholarly academic work” while also remaining “entertaining.” We are serious academics, but it is popular culture after all. When the two are set up in opposition, however, an almost untenable tension is created that restricts movement back and forth between the two approaches. This tension also strengthens the cultural hierarchy of real art, meant to educate, from low ball stuff meant to entertain.
When I began watching the older movies with Kate, I had a slight panic attack. What in all of the known universe were we going to offer about Double Impact or Double Team? (Despite not having watched them yet, I just know those two are going to be rough.) JCVD was ripe with conversational possibilities but what could be garnered from Lionheart that wasn’t a dreadfully obvious attempt at forcing meaning? But then I read Bourdieu and I remembered: it isn’t about the themes, or the cinematography, or even the slightly dubious early acting of Mr. JCVD himself. It’s about being completely entertained by simplistic plots that don’t want to confuse you or upset you, and that simple entertainment (if we can call any entertainment simple) is not a waste of time.
In any experience of enjoyment or disappointment the possibility exists of examining one’s own personal ethical, moral, and aesthetic code. Low art can be used to achieve this as easily as, if not more effectively than, high art. It is easy to be distracted by the themes, metaphors, and allegories of high art, but low art leaves you nothing to think about or discuss outside yourself and your reactions. That can be disconcerting, annoying, and lonely, but it can also be revealing, entertaining, and humorous.
So I hope to bring an aspect of the pure gaze to our JCVD movies, an aesthetic appreciation if you will, but I hope neither the fun nor the aestheticism gets subsumed by the other.
JCVD wins!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Coming soon...
We will be reviewing another fabulously classic JCVD flick in the very near future. This has unfortunately been delayed due to my own shameful behavior the other night when I fell asleep before the end of the movie. I have made my personal amends to the movie gods, and I am sure we are all looking forward to the ensuing post!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Lionheart
Overall VD Rating: 6
This is our first foray into “classic” JCVD, and we want it understood that the standards for this film and the others like it will be slightly varied from the more artistic films like Wake of Death and JCVD. This is what a film connoisseur would label an “Action Film” and it should be remembered that when watching such wholesome entertainment if you aren’t cheering and clapping by the end, something has gone very wrong. No part of this film will be judged for artistry. (There was A LOT of saxophone.) (And roller-skates.) (And a kilt.)
JCVD Exposure: 8
We want to take a moment and first emphasize how well JCVD cries. He is an infallible crier; he never over does it or sobs, but holds your attention on the screen with giant, wet, sad eyes, and well placed tears tracing the well defined planes of his face. It should be pointed that Kate finds him most attractive while crying.
On a more personal level, this movie includes the finest gluteus maximus caught on film pre-300. JCVD should always put on a bathrobe by first exposing his backside. It is, actually, the only way to dress. The next scene included a fabulous dressing montage ala Pretty Woman featuring splendiferous styles from 1990; the scene became iconic when, for no discernable purpose, the camera panned down offering an aerial shot of JCVD in the dressing room wearing nothing but tightie-whities. He is not a small man.
It is good, on occasion, to give thanks to the movie gods.
Good rule for these movies: anytime he’s wet the first time you see him, you know you’re in for a good time. In this movie it was sweat, but he was sweaty a lot in a tight t-shirt, swinging a hammer, driving a post into the ground that--we don’t know why it needed to be in the ground, but we were thankful it did. He’s sweaty again shortly thereafter, artfully lit by a furnace, into which he is shoveling coal--shirtless. It was the best coal shoveling ever.
This movie also had the best worn wrestling singlet...EVER. A style made only hotter when he falls in the water becoming wet. Again.
And then there’s the JCVD swagger. You might not have noticed in your previous viewings, but in almost all the films he is shown walking around wherever he is. We feel the director makes this choice because JCVD is a HOT walker. The man swaggers like a veritable badass and tempers his rough edges by speaking French sweetly to little girls and their school marms.
We had to deduct one point for no sexy time.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 5
There were multiple slow motion shots of awesomeness. These included: jump knee to the back; jump roundhouse to the head (multiple); elbow to face for knockout; amazing hair flip out of water (bad guy, but it needed to be mentioned); crotch shot.
The fights were a little bit slow, however, and very obviously choreographed. It should be understood this was the technique of the time period, but the editing made the reaction times of the fighters so slow as to be unbelievable at times and greatly reduced the dramatic possibilities.
It is hard not to cry aloud when JCVD is getting the crap kicked out of him. We take these movies seriously.
The music was reasonably spectacular and 90’s fab. The saxophone led the way, its mournful tones seemed to dominate almost every scene and we both found ourselves waiting for a vampire to jump out of the alleyway and demand sexy time of JCVD. The final fight scene was intensified by good music use, though; starting with the theme in minor as Lionheart refuses to go down the theme changes back to major and the snare drum comes in sparking the march to the end and our hero valiantly destroys his opponent.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 5
We were hurting for a good villain here. The main villain was a woman we dubbed “Fish Lady” for her cold, dead eyes and little mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping out of water. We have no doubt had she been successful in her attempted seduction JCVD would have found himself at the fish market.
The sidekicks were truly spectacular. The kid was tre-awesome; she was almost so cute it hurt to watch. She was also a good actress which we’ve grown to truly appreciate in our JCVD movies. Joshua, his “manager” was the broken man whose soul is redeemed by Lionheart’s indefatigable nobility. Joshua, a down on his luck black man, appears to be nothing but an action film stereotype upon first meeting; he uses words like “jive,” eats KFC, and is pimped out in a three piece suit, but the movie allows him to blossom into a three dimensional character that wins the viewers hearts and offers an emotional sincerity to the film that was unexpected. He could be argued to be the best part of the film. If JCVD didn’t get naked.
Surprising Themes That Must Needs Be Mentioned
Madonna/Whore Complex: Villain = bad lady, over sexualized, sexually aggressive, surrounded by men. Heroine = good lady, mousy, mother, no male companion or demonstrated sexuality, old lady shoes. Probably Naturalizers. It got a bit aggrandizing at times.
Lionheart = Jesus Christ: We offer this point under protest because it isn’t a one-to-one comparison, but there are enough elements we would be remiss if we didn’t touch on it. He wanders in the desert; he forgives everyone and restores their faith and goodwill through said forgiveness. He is the redemption of Joshua (name means follower of Christ) who betrays him in the eleventh hour; he receives a wound to the side indicative of a spear wound. Following the steps of the hero quest, JCVD dies, is reborn, and redeems those around him.
Memorable Mentions: There is a man with a handlebar mustache. There are random people on roller-skates. There is a man that fights in a kilt. There is unfortunate denim wearage.
Lionheart is a hero for the ages. He’s a man of great strength and no wasted effort. There is no more physical action or spoken words than necessary. He suffers and wins in silence. These qualities mark him as noble and heroic, supported by his constant vigilance of those around him, even those he fights.
We cheered at the end of this movie. Cheered we tell you.
This is our first foray into “classic” JCVD, and we want it understood that the standards for this film and the others like it will be slightly varied from the more artistic films like Wake of Death and JCVD. This is what a film connoisseur would label an “Action Film” and it should be remembered that when watching such wholesome entertainment if you aren’t cheering and clapping by the end, something has gone very wrong. No part of this film will be judged for artistry. (There was A LOT of saxophone.) (And roller-skates.) (And a kilt.)
JCVD Exposure: 8
We want to take a moment and first emphasize how well JCVD cries. He is an infallible crier; he never over does it or sobs, but holds your attention on the screen with giant, wet, sad eyes, and well placed tears tracing the well defined planes of his face. It should be pointed that Kate finds him most attractive while crying.
On a more personal level, this movie includes the finest gluteus maximus caught on film pre-300. JCVD should always put on a bathrobe by first exposing his backside. It is, actually, the only way to dress. The next scene included a fabulous dressing montage ala Pretty Woman featuring splendiferous styles from 1990; the scene became iconic when, for no discernable purpose, the camera panned down offering an aerial shot of JCVD in the dressing room wearing nothing but tightie-whities. He is not a small man.
It is good, on occasion, to give thanks to the movie gods.
Good rule for these movies: anytime he’s wet the first time you see him, you know you’re in for a good time. In this movie it was sweat, but he was sweaty a lot in a tight t-shirt, swinging a hammer, driving a post into the ground that--we don’t know why it needed to be in the ground, but we were thankful it did. He’s sweaty again shortly thereafter, artfully lit by a furnace, into which he is shoveling coal--shirtless. It was the best coal shoveling ever.
This movie also had the best worn wrestling singlet...EVER. A style made only hotter when he falls in the water becoming wet. Again.
And then there’s the JCVD swagger. You might not have noticed in your previous viewings, but in almost all the films he is shown walking around wherever he is. We feel the director makes this choice because JCVD is a HOT walker. The man swaggers like a veritable badass and tempers his rough edges by speaking French sweetly to little girls and their school marms.
We had to deduct one point for no sexy time.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 5
There were multiple slow motion shots of awesomeness. These included: jump knee to the back; jump roundhouse to the head (multiple); elbow to face for knockout; amazing hair flip out of water (bad guy, but it needed to be mentioned); crotch shot.
The fights were a little bit slow, however, and very obviously choreographed. It should be understood this was the technique of the time period, but the editing made the reaction times of the fighters so slow as to be unbelievable at times and greatly reduced the dramatic possibilities.
It is hard not to cry aloud when JCVD is getting the crap kicked out of him. We take these movies seriously.
The music was reasonably spectacular and 90’s fab. The saxophone led the way, its mournful tones seemed to dominate almost every scene and we both found ourselves waiting for a vampire to jump out of the alleyway and demand sexy time of JCVD. The final fight scene was intensified by good music use, though; starting with the theme in minor as Lionheart refuses to go down the theme changes back to major and the snare drum comes in sparking the march to the end and our hero valiantly destroys his opponent.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 5
We were hurting for a good villain here. The main villain was a woman we dubbed “Fish Lady” for her cold, dead eyes and little mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping out of water. We have no doubt had she been successful in her attempted seduction JCVD would have found himself at the fish market.
The sidekicks were truly spectacular. The kid was tre-awesome; she was almost so cute it hurt to watch. She was also a good actress which we’ve grown to truly appreciate in our JCVD movies. Joshua, his “manager” was the broken man whose soul is redeemed by Lionheart’s indefatigable nobility. Joshua, a down on his luck black man, appears to be nothing but an action film stereotype upon first meeting; he uses words like “jive,” eats KFC, and is pimped out in a three piece suit, but the movie allows him to blossom into a three dimensional character that wins the viewers hearts and offers an emotional sincerity to the film that was unexpected. He could be argued to be the best part of the film. If JCVD didn’t get naked.
Surprising Themes That Must Needs Be Mentioned
Madonna/Whore Complex: Villain = bad lady, over sexualized, sexually aggressive, surrounded by men. Heroine = good lady, mousy, mother, no male companion or demonstrated sexuality, old lady shoes. Probably Naturalizers. It got a bit aggrandizing at times.
Lionheart = Jesus Christ: We offer this point under protest because it isn’t a one-to-one comparison, but there are enough elements we would be remiss if we didn’t touch on it. He wanders in the desert; he forgives everyone and restores their faith and goodwill through said forgiveness. He is the redemption of Joshua (name means follower of Christ) who betrays him in the eleventh hour; he receives a wound to the side indicative of a spear wound. Following the steps of the hero quest, JCVD dies, is reborn, and redeems those around him.
Memorable Mentions: There is a man with a handlebar mustache. There are random people on roller-skates. There is a man that fights in a kilt. There is unfortunate denim wearage.
Lionheart is a hero for the ages. He’s a man of great strength and no wasted effort. There is no more physical action or spoken words than necessary. He suffers and wins in silence. These qualities mark him as noble and heroic, supported by his constant vigilance of those around him, even those he fights.
We cheered at the end of this movie. Cheered we tell you.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
JCVD IS Santa Claus
Dear Kate:
Amazon.com has informed me that my order has shipped today. On Thursday I will receive: Universal Solider; the Jean-Claude Van Damme Action Pack (4 Movies); the Jean-Claude Van Damme Double Pack (2 movies). I wanted to let you know that Christmas came in September this year and I feel this is proof that JCVD is, in fact, Santa Claus. How else could he bring us 14 hours of blissful euphoria for all our hard work? Well, 12 hours if we subtract for the mullet, but even Christmas presents can’t do everything.
Sincerely and with deepest affection,
Jess
Amazon.com has informed me that my order has shipped today. On Thursday I will receive: Universal Solider; the Jean-Claude Van Damme Action Pack (4 Movies); the Jean-Claude Van Damme Double Pack (2 movies). I wanted to let you know that Christmas came in September this year and I feel this is proof that JCVD is, in fact, Santa Claus. How else could he bring us 14 hours of blissful euphoria for all our hard work? Well, 12 hours if we subtract for the mullet, but even Christmas presents can’t do everything.
Sincerely and with deepest affection,
Jess
JCVD Life Lesson #2: The Dissertation Attack
I was walking to class today pondering our JCVD project; like anything new I am excited about, it inevitably consumes my thoughts, and I find myself fixating on what I want to accomplish. Both Kate and I knew from the start that we wanted to talk not only about movies, but also about life, the universe, everything. While Douglas Adams has revealed the answer to be 42, I think I’ve been hoping a little bit that JCVD would unveil the question.
It occurred to me, though, as thoughts about my dissertation vied with thoughts about Van Damme in my head (it probably speaks to my potential as a scholar since my research has to compete with my musings on action movies) that Kate and I had created a methodology, explained it, and implemented it. Methodologies are tricky things; if you want to make up a word and argue that this word names a concept or social conception/construct that has, as of yet, gone unnoticed you have to present a methodology--the studious, critical approach you will take to define, reveal, and prove that your social observation is both correct and valid.
Think about whatever philosophy you’ve had to read in your life. At some point, usually the beginning, when the philosopher is discussing how s/he came about the insight s/he plans to spend the rest of the book fleshing out, there is a defining of terms and a creation of proof--as in mathematical proof. It isn’t exactly a mathematical proof obviously, but the idea here is that someone else can read your work and use your methodology to do their own study of the concept created.
Are you confused? Welcome to the world I have willingly chosen to make my life.
I have no idea (NO IDEA) how to go about writing something like this, or, at least, I didn’t. But on my walk to class today it occurred to me that I had already created a methodology. Our VD ratings system.
The Claim: That all JCVD movies can be evaluated against each other for merit and meaning
The Proof: Our criteria listed in the our Mission Statement.
The Result: The JCVD Project and whatever entertainment and or value it offers to those who read it.
We have established a set of criteria and defined them creating a structure for our theories of what makes a worthwhile JCVD movie and why. We have explicated our reasons for rating the movies we watch based upon said criteria. We have offered specific reasons for why doing this matters to us.
Basically what this means in simple terms is this: I’ve written something that almost precisely models what I will have to do for a Doctorate of Philosophy. And I’ve done it with Kate on Jean-Claude Van Damme movies.
Tell me you too recognize the ludicrousness of what has happened here.
But more than having stumbled upon an unplanned “writing practice” I’ve begun to engage in the exact activities I am constantly trying to teach to my students. When we study world literature I spend entire lectures attempting to demonstrate to them that they are already doing at home what they must in class. When they watch a movie or tv or whatever and then talk about it with their friends the thought process that is being engaged in is the same as the process required for education, work, and general self evaluation. Granted, often times it is a more simplistic and naive process, but that doesn’t change the significance of recognizing the two processes as similar.
Being able to justify an appreciation for JCVD is, at its core, the same thing as justifying an appreciation for Homer or Milton (I know, half my friends are cursing me right now and the other half are groaning because they realize I’m really not going to ever get a job and will, in fact, be living in their basements). You have to work harder for a justification of JCVD because a purely aesthetic argument, “I liked it cause shit blew up,” doesn’t justify it as worth anyone else’s time to think about, and many JCVD movies are lacking in the larger themes, never mind ubiquitous cultural context, of the texts studied in the classroom. But it can be done, and that’s the part that I feel is important. That’s also the part I feel we forget to make clear when we are teaching why thinking matters. Not Milton, not Shakespeare, not Chaucer or Dante--it’s the thinking that matters and the process of questioning why anything is worth reading or watching. The “classics” just lend themselves more obviously to the sorts of questions that need to be asked.
But just because it seems silly to examine human nature through the lens of JCVD doesn’t make it worthless. It might be unexpected and possibly even ridiculous, but no matter what any one person finds this to be in the end, the subject matter is inconsequential--it’s the process that counts. I think JCVD the action hero could appreciate that.
And I say “whatever” to how ludicrous this all sounds: JCVD is gonna help me graduate. That’s like a metaphysical roundhouse kick/groin shot combination.
It occurred to me, though, as thoughts about my dissertation vied with thoughts about Van Damme in my head (it probably speaks to my potential as a scholar since my research has to compete with my musings on action movies) that Kate and I had created a methodology, explained it, and implemented it. Methodologies are tricky things; if you want to make up a word and argue that this word names a concept or social conception/construct that has, as of yet, gone unnoticed you have to present a methodology--the studious, critical approach you will take to define, reveal, and prove that your social observation is both correct and valid.
Think about whatever philosophy you’ve had to read in your life. At some point, usually the beginning, when the philosopher is discussing how s/he came about the insight s/he plans to spend the rest of the book fleshing out, there is a defining of terms and a creation of proof--as in mathematical proof. It isn’t exactly a mathematical proof obviously, but the idea here is that someone else can read your work and use your methodology to do their own study of the concept created.
Are you confused? Welcome to the world I have willingly chosen to make my life.
I have no idea (NO IDEA) how to go about writing something like this, or, at least, I didn’t. But on my walk to class today it occurred to me that I had already created a methodology. Our VD ratings system.
The Claim: That all JCVD movies can be evaluated against each other for merit and meaning
The Proof: Our criteria listed in the our Mission Statement.
The Result: The JCVD Project and whatever entertainment and or value it offers to those who read it.
We have established a set of criteria and defined them creating a structure for our theories of what makes a worthwhile JCVD movie and why. We have explicated our reasons for rating the movies we watch based upon said criteria. We have offered specific reasons for why doing this matters to us.
Basically what this means in simple terms is this: I’ve written something that almost precisely models what I will have to do for a Doctorate of Philosophy. And I’ve done it with Kate on Jean-Claude Van Damme movies.
Tell me you too recognize the ludicrousness of what has happened here.
But more than having stumbled upon an unplanned “writing practice” I’ve begun to engage in the exact activities I am constantly trying to teach to my students. When we study world literature I spend entire lectures attempting to demonstrate to them that they are already doing at home what they must in class. When they watch a movie or tv or whatever and then talk about it with their friends the thought process that is being engaged in is the same as the process required for education, work, and general self evaluation. Granted, often times it is a more simplistic and naive process, but that doesn’t change the significance of recognizing the two processes as similar.
Being able to justify an appreciation for JCVD is, at its core, the same thing as justifying an appreciation for Homer or Milton (I know, half my friends are cursing me right now and the other half are groaning because they realize I’m really not going to ever get a job and will, in fact, be living in their basements). You have to work harder for a justification of JCVD because a purely aesthetic argument, “I liked it cause shit blew up,” doesn’t justify it as worth anyone else’s time to think about, and many JCVD movies are lacking in the larger themes, never mind ubiquitous cultural context, of the texts studied in the classroom. But it can be done, and that’s the part that I feel is important. That’s also the part I feel we forget to make clear when we are teaching why thinking matters. Not Milton, not Shakespeare, not Chaucer or Dante--it’s the thinking that matters and the process of questioning why anything is worth reading or watching. The “classics” just lend themselves more obviously to the sorts of questions that need to be asked.
But just because it seems silly to examine human nature through the lens of JCVD doesn’t make it worthless. It might be unexpected and possibly even ridiculous, but no matter what any one person finds this to be in the end, the subject matter is inconsequential--it’s the process that counts. I think JCVD the action hero could appreciate that.
And I say “whatever” to how ludicrous this all sounds: JCVD is gonna help me graduate. That’s like a metaphysical roundhouse kick/groin shot combination.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
JCVD and Life Lessons
Believe it or not, we feel that JCVD does allow for some personal reflection, at times even helping us to take personal inventory of ourselves. The hero action movie genre in general offers many cliches and archetypes, but rarely offers applicable lessons in life. Or, at least, it would seem that way.
Currently, I am working on two important concepts that don't seem to have much to do with one another: detachment and acceptance. The problem I have with detachment is not letting others' attitudes or harsh words throw me off base. Acceptance is a difficult concept; it involves letting go of things that are out of my control.
Amazingly enough, these lessons can be seen in JCVD (the movie). Of course, it's easier to ponder on JCVD's (the actor) most existential and artistic performance, and I admit that this feat may not have been possible if considering a movie such as "Universal Soldier: The Return," but it still amazes me that JCVD is such an example in this movie. Here is another example of how he embodies the true hero in this movie, while at the same time the movie emphasizes his lack of action movie heroics.
JCVD must learn detachment. He must learn to love his daughter even though she doesn't want him near. He needs to learn how to let go of the Hollywood that almost took him down. He also must detach from others' judgments of him when they assume he is the perpetrator of the bank robbery. Instead of wallowing in this, JCVD owns it in a way that eventually helps to save the other hostages.
Just as I am learning, one must detach, but must do so in a loving, compassionate way. He does not hate his daughter or retaliate against the police. He simply does what has to be done without letting judgment affect his important role in the movie, which could be likened to his role in life. He hurts. He suffers. He is sad about what the world has done to him. But he doesn't let it defeat him. In fact, he proves something to himself: he is, in some way, the hero everyone thinks he is. Until this challenge, he hadn't seen himself in that way, couldn't understand why others could idolize him. However, he also knows that whatever others think of him is not attached to the true person inside.
Ultimately, detachment is connected to acceptance. When JCVD hears the unfair verdit incarcerating him for embezzlement, he does not comment. We never see him fight the charges, the media, even the cab driver's perception. He goes to jail, and when in jail, makes the best of his situation, teaching karate classes. And in the end, all of this detachment and acceptance does bring his daughter back, though we are left wondering what role she will play in his life.
More importantly, through detachment and acceptance, JCVD has a greater knowledge of himself, which perhaps includes more compassion for those he had thought did not understand him, as well as a renewed sense of a life's purpose. Though things may not have gone the way that he might have planned when he was in his early thirties and shooting "Universal Soldier," he is important as a man, as a human being.
Currently, I am working on two important concepts that don't seem to have much to do with one another: detachment and acceptance. The problem I have with detachment is not letting others' attitudes or harsh words throw me off base. Acceptance is a difficult concept; it involves letting go of things that are out of my control.
Amazingly enough, these lessons can be seen in JCVD (the movie). Of course, it's easier to ponder on JCVD's (the actor) most existential and artistic performance, and I admit that this feat may not have been possible if considering a movie such as "Universal Soldier: The Return," but it still amazes me that JCVD is such an example in this movie. Here is another example of how he embodies the true hero in this movie, while at the same time the movie emphasizes his lack of action movie heroics.
JCVD must learn detachment. He must learn to love his daughter even though she doesn't want him near. He needs to learn how to let go of the Hollywood that almost took him down. He also must detach from others' judgments of him when they assume he is the perpetrator of the bank robbery. Instead of wallowing in this, JCVD owns it in a way that eventually helps to save the other hostages.
Just as I am learning, one must detach, but must do so in a loving, compassionate way. He does not hate his daughter or retaliate against the police. He simply does what has to be done without letting judgment affect his important role in the movie, which could be likened to his role in life. He hurts. He suffers. He is sad about what the world has done to him. But he doesn't let it defeat him. In fact, he proves something to himself: he is, in some way, the hero everyone thinks he is. Until this challenge, he hadn't seen himself in that way, couldn't understand why others could idolize him. However, he also knows that whatever others think of him is not attached to the true person inside.
Ultimately, detachment is connected to acceptance. When JCVD hears the unfair verdit incarcerating him for embezzlement, he does not comment. We never see him fight the charges, the media, even the cab driver's perception. He goes to jail, and when in jail, makes the best of his situation, teaching karate classes. And in the end, all of this detachment and acceptance does bring his daughter back, though we are left wondering what role she will play in his life.
More importantly, through detachment and acceptance, JCVD has a greater knowledge of himself, which perhaps includes more compassion for those he had thought did not understand him, as well as a renewed sense of a life's purpose. Though things may not have gone the way that he might have planned when he was in his early thirties and shooting "Universal Soldier," he is important as a man, as a human being.
Universal Soldier: The Return
Overall VD Rating: 3
This movie was really friggin’ ridiculous.
JCVD Exposure: 1
Ultimately we rated this movie a 3 because his shirt never came off. Just about everyone takes their shirts off except for our main man. The bitchy love interest report, Jesse “The Body” Venture (Romeo) an entire army of Unisols (short for Universal Soldiers) and a throng of strippers all bare their chests. The verdict: too much boobage that isn’t JCVD’s. We award 1 point for the brief moment of excitement delivered when his outer shirt catches on fire and your loins hitch at the possibility of full shirt removal.
JCVD Boot to Face Contact: 5
Slow motion signature roundhouse kick; a roundhouse kick to the back of the head; evil Unisols coming down the ceiling to metal music; a roundhouse kick to the head of the evil computer turned man frozen by CO2 (not to be confused with T2 where he was frozen with liquid nitrogen).
If shit hadn’t blown up this movie would be worth nothing.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 0
All the women were like anorexic, unwashed harpies screeching across a chasm. If these women were told to “act like themselves” they would stand there, pop their gum, and ask what their motivation was. Women like this almost make me hate my vagina.
The only bright spot in this black hole of suck was Jesse “The Body” Ventura as, wait for it, Romeo. It’s been many a year since Predator, but Jesse showed he hadn’t forgotten how to fire a gun, rip his shirt off, and flex. He even bench pressed our very own JCVD. What saved him, and added what small enjoyment could be found in his catastrophe, was his obvious acknowledgment of the ludicrousness of the movie he was making. It wasn’t worth a point though.
We felt none of the supporting actors increased JCVD’s awesomeness...in fact they suffocated it. If he would have taken his shirt off we would have given it a 4. Call us shallow, but you gotta give a girl something.
Memorable Mentions: 3 Bonus Points
“Invented bio-agent neutralizing foam.” It would stop all the chemicals exploded in biological warfare. That would be handy.
“Sadaam-a-go-go”--a song listed in the credits. Classy.
These memorable mentions are included to remind you we are closely examining these movies for all possible worth and critical thought.
This movie was really friggin’ ridiculous.
JCVD Exposure: 1
Ultimately we rated this movie a 3 because his shirt never came off. Just about everyone takes their shirts off except for our main man. The bitchy love interest report, Jesse “The Body” Venture (Romeo) an entire army of Unisols (short for Universal Soldiers) and a throng of strippers all bare their chests. The verdict: too much boobage that isn’t JCVD’s. We award 1 point for the brief moment of excitement delivered when his outer shirt catches on fire and your loins hitch at the possibility of full shirt removal.
JCVD Boot to Face Contact: 5
Slow motion signature roundhouse kick; a roundhouse kick to the back of the head; evil Unisols coming down the ceiling to metal music; a roundhouse kick to the head of the evil computer turned man frozen by CO2 (not to be confused with T2 where he was frozen with liquid nitrogen).
If shit hadn’t blown up this movie would be worth nothing.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 0
All the women were like anorexic, unwashed harpies screeching across a chasm. If these women were told to “act like themselves” they would stand there, pop their gum, and ask what their motivation was. Women like this almost make me hate my vagina.
The only bright spot in this black hole of suck was Jesse “The Body” Ventura as, wait for it, Romeo. It’s been many a year since Predator, but Jesse showed he hadn’t forgotten how to fire a gun, rip his shirt off, and flex. He even bench pressed our very own JCVD. What saved him, and added what small enjoyment could be found in his catastrophe, was his obvious acknowledgment of the ludicrousness of the movie he was making. It wasn’t worth a point though.
We felt none of the supporting actors increased JCVD’s awesomeness...in fact they suffocated it. If he would have taken his shirt off we would have given it a 4. Call us shallow, but you gotta give a girl something.
Memorable Mentions: 3 Bonus Points
“Invented bio-agent neutralizing foam.” It would stop all the chemicals exploded in biological warfare. That would be handy.
“Sadaam-a-go-go”--a song listed in the credits. Classy.
These memorable mentions are included to remind you we are closely examining these movies for all possible worth and critical thought.
Wake of Death
We were pleasantly surprised by this movie. It was an epic battle to find a JCVD film in the Blockbuster to begin our quest, but as we sorted through the thrift-store like pile of movies in the action section I felt a tickle in my awareness pulling me to a previously missed movie, alone, out of place on top of the stack. I pulled the movie off the shelf and discovered: Wake of Death! There was JCVD staring at us from the cover.
Thrilled with our find we rushed home to begin our viewing extravaganza. From the beginning we knew we hadn’t stumbled across a typical action film. The cinematography and attention to detail (sometimes too much attention as an unfortunate montage showed the street name “Hope St.” following his decision to get his life in order) demonstrated a thoughtfulness and artistry unexpected from the JCVD action set.
We consider it a reasonably fearless movie; before the credits roll you are shown a tastefully shot sex scene followed by the brutal murder of the woman. As the camera pulls back there is a quick, but powerful shot of her fully naked body lying on bed splattered by the blood pouring out of her neck. Despite what might herald a pension for nudity, however, a later scene in a whorehouse showed a surprising lack of nudity, while still demonstrating the intense sexual environment therein.
This movie was a revenge tragedy. What the packaging promised to be a bad action movie, Chinese mafia, dead wife, kidnapped child, “ties to the underworld” turned out to be surprisingly and refreshingly artistic. You were left unsure of your feelings at the end as revenge leaves everyone dead or bleeding and there is no satisfactory punishment or victory. The only ones left unharmed are the children, but even they show signs of loss after losing their parents. No amount of killing brings back those we love, and this movie doesn’t hesitate to make that clear. Unlike its predecessors of the 80’s and 90’s Wake of Death does not offer satisfaction in the bloody ending, but only disquiet and uncertainty.
Overall VD Rating: 7 (+1 bonus point artistry and plot)
JCVD Exposure: 10
In the first twenty minutes of the movie he has showered (in slow motion) and had sex. We thank you. He is also incredibly emotive when he discovered his wife’s dead body and the emotional fall out directly after. Unlike other action heroes he was surprisingly reserved which made his character both more moving and more heartbreaking.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 4
There was, altogether, too much gun play. The first gun fight was exciting, but the brother provided significantly better hand to hand action than JCVD. That makes us sad.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 7
The villain was very impressive, and one of his henchmen was named “Andy Wang.” As the name might suggest Mr. Wang pursued a game of S&M in the whorehouse where his pursuit of domination led to his head being blown all over the wall. The villain dominated every scene he appeared in with powerful charisma and sheer evil. His penchant for slicing open the necks of women was counterbalanced by his obsessed search for his missing daughter and this made him more interesting as a whole. Of the kids, the small Chinese girl Kim was superb, but the little boy playing his son was painful on in the awfulness of his acting. The mother also brought down the score (thankfully she dies). Of the sidekicks his brother was both good looking and believable and a seemingly unimportant character named Ramone stole our hearts when he proceeded to drill into a bad guy, torturing him for information. The piece of flesh hanging off the drill and the sound of the bones crunching added a special flavor. Both of us felt the need to plug our ears and look away.
JCVD cuts a fine figure in his film and it is his acting, not his signature moves that make it worth watching. (You only think we’re joking.)
Thrilled with our find we rushed home to begin our viewing extravaganza. From the beginning we knew we hadn’t stumbled across a typical action film. The cinematography and attention to detail (sometimes too much attention as an unfortunate montage showed the street name “Hope St.” following his decision to get his life in order) demonstrated a thoughtfulness and artistry unexpected from the JCVD action set.
We consider it a reasonably fearless movie; before the credits roll you are shown a tastefully shot sex scene followed by the brutal murder of the woman. As the camera pulls back there is a quick, but powerful shot of her fully naked body lying on bed splattered by the blood pouring out of her neck. Despite what might herald a pension for nudity, however, a later scene in a whorehouse showed a surprising lack of nudity, while still demonstrating the intense sexual environment therein.
This movie was a revenge tragedy. What the packaging promised to be a bad action movie, Chinese mafia, dead wife, kidnapped child, “ties to the underworld” turned out to be surprisingly and refreshingly artistic. You were left unsure of your feelings at the end as revenge leaves everyone dead or bleeding and there is no satisfactory punishment or victory. The only ones left unharmed are the children, but even they show signs of loss after losing their parents. No amount of killing brings back those we love, and this movie doesn’t hesitate to make that clear. Unlike its predecessors of the 80’s and 90’s Wake of Death does not offer satisfaction in the bloody ending, but only disquiet and uncertainty.
Overall VD Rating: 7 (+1 bonus point artistry and plot)
JCVD Exposure: 10
In the first twenty minutes of the movie he has showered (in slow motion) and had sex. We thank you. He is also incredibly emotive when he discovered his wife’s dead body and the emotional fall out directly after. Unlike other action heroes he was surprisingly reserved which made his character both more moving and more heartbreaking.
JCVD Boot to Face Action: 4
There was, altogether, too much gun play. The first gun fight was exciting, but the brother provided significantly better hand to hand action than JCVD. That makes us sad.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 7
The villain was very impressive, and one of his henchmen was named “Andy Wang.” As the name might suggest Mr. Wang pursued a game of S&M in the whorehouse where his pursuit of domination led to his head being blown all over the wall. The villain dominated every scene he appeared in with powerful charisma and sheer evil. His penchant for slicing open the necks of women was counterbalanced by his obsessed search for his missing daughter and this made him more interesting as a whole. Of the kids, the small Chinese girl Kim was superb, but the little boy playing his son was painful on in the awfulness of his acting. The mother also brought down the score (thankfully she dies). Of the sidekicks his brother was both good looking and believable and a seemingly unimportant character named Ramone stole our hearts when he proceeded to drill into a bad guy, torturing him for information. The piece of flesh hanging off the drill and the sound of the bones crunching added a special flavor. Both of us felt the need to plug our ears and look away.
JCVD cuts a fine figure in his film and it is his acting, not his signature moves that make it worth watching. (You only think we’re joking.)
JCVD
The first movie we watched together and the impetus for our JCVD project we carry special sentimentality for this film.
Overall VD Rating: 10 (+X bonus points for plot, artistry, cinematography, and surprisingly beautiful monologues)
JCVD Exposure: 10
There is no pectoral exposure per se, but the t-shirt he spends most of the movie wearing and the page boy cap and sunglasses he wears the rest of the time are strangely seductive. The movie focuses on him to such a degree that you forget at moments you are watching JCVD play the character of JCVD and begin to imagine you are getting to know the man JCVD. This has the effect of making him more sympathetic and more thoughtful while simultaneously his slightly tongue-in-cheek portrayal endears him in a way no child of Bloodsport or Kickboxer would have believed possible.
There is no sexy time.
Amazingly enough we are scoring this a 10 based almost entirely on his emotive opportunities and the genuine sincerity with which he pulls it off. One particularly moving moment occurs during a meta-theatrical monologue where JCVD raises above the stage to talk to God, the viewer, or whomever it is you imagine he would hold himself accountable to. This speech is so undeniably heartbreaking that only a person of no soul, no feeling, and no humanity could sit through it and not feel anything. Up to that point in the movie JCVD has made you laugh, made you think, and even made you consider what it means to be a hero, but he hadn’t yet moved you to cry or contemplate the metaphysical existence of being a washed up celebrity. He really is an idol to some and a joke to others, but this speech reveals him to first, and always, be a man--flawed.
JCVD Boot to Face Contact: 10
There are no “fight scenes” in the action movie sense, but all the action is strategically placed to be believable and understated as it always is in real life. When he pulls off a move or simply succeeds in freeing a few hostages you want to cheer as if he’s brought down an entire drug cartel. The ludicrousness of what we consider “fighting” in modern cinema is illuminated by the subtle, real actions that he takes to save himself.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 10
There is not a character in this movie that you don’t feel something about. The side characters, normal people, JCVD comes in contact with completely encapsulate the world we all live in and the surreal lens through which that same world views JCVD. The cab driver speaks to him as if he owes her something; the video store clerks love him because he’s never hit Arabs in his movies. And everyone assumes he has held up the bank because their love and their judgment are both based on the fictional world they watch on DVD.
The villains are also exceedingly well-crafted. The ultimate bad guy, the man that appears to embody pure evil, nonetheless speaks the philosophical tenets that have been driving the movie and shaping the viewer’s interpretation all the way along. Arthur, the villain whose loyalty ultimately lies with JCVD, sparks sympathy in the viewer and sadness upon his death. A character that appears farcical at the beginning of the movie becomes three-dimensional as the story progresses through talking with JCVD and becomes the archetypal “hero ethics” character. He does what he imagines JCVD would do, not because he can think critically about the character he imagines JCVD to be, but because it symbolizes in his brain all that is best. As a viewer you become sympathetic to him because the child in us that yearns for absolutes recognizes the impulse that drives him to see JCVD as a hero and absolute warrior.
Finally there is his family. The speech delivered by his father and the pleas of his mother drive home what his position as an assumed bank robber costs him. It is easy to imagine him shouldering the load of responsibility in the movie, that is what action movie heroes do after all, but once his parents come on screen you see cracks form in his facade and the consequences of his actions become achingly apparent. Added to this is the character of his daughter always lurking in the background. She represents all that he wants but can’t have, and you are never quite sure what your position to her in the movie is, or what JCVD’s position to her is. He is her father, but even to his own daughter he is a source of embarrassment--a washed up movie star. The idea that his child could see him not as a parent, but as a celebrity, is one of the most subtly heartbreaking themes floating in the background of the story.
JCVD playing JCVD brings in all the connotations of action movie expectations which juxtapose with a very human drama. No one has allegiance to him except his parents and Arthur--not his daughter, not his fans, not his agent, not his wife, not his lawyer. He is left abandoned and mocked at the beginning of this movie and even the supposed bank robbery serves only as another avenue for schadenfrued.
We love this movie. It has spurned a passion to watch the work of an actor and remember what it was that made this man the “Muscles from Brussels” in the first place. What is the legend of JCVD and what might have been missed in its making?
Overall VD Rating: 10 (+X bonus points for plot, artistry, cinematography, and surprisingly beautiful monologues)
JCVD Exposure: 10
There is no pectoral exposure per se, but the t-shirt he spends most of the movie wearing and the page boy cap and sunglasses he wears the rest of the time are strangely seductive. The movie focuses on him to such a degree that you forget at moments you are watching JCVD play the character of JCVD and begin to imagine you are getting to know the man JCVD. This has the effect of making him more sympathetic and more thoughtful while simultaneously his slightly tongue-in-cheek portrayal endears him in a way no child of Bloodsport or Kickboxer would have believed possible.
There is no sexy time.
Amazingly enough we are scoring this a 10 based almost entirely on his emotive opportunities and the genuine sincerity with which he pulls it off. One particularly moving moment occurs during a meta-theatrical monologue where JCVD raises above the stage to talk to God, the viewer, or whomever it is you imagine he would hold himself accountable to. This speech is so undeniably heartbreaking that only a person of no soul, no feeling, and no humanity could sit through it and not feel anything. Up to that point in the movie JCVD has made you laugh, made you think, and even made you consider what it means to be a hero, but he hadn’t yet moved you to cry or contemplate the metaphysical existence of being a washed up celebrity. He really is an idol to some and a joke to others, but this speech reveals him to first, and always, be a man--flawed.
JCVD Boot to Face Contact: 10
There are no “fight scenes” in the action movie sense, but all the action is strategically placed to be believable and understated as it always is in real life. When he pulls off a move or simply succeeds in freeing a few hostages you want to cheer as if he’s brought down an entire drug cartel. The ludicrousness of what we consider “fighting” in modern cinema is illuminated by the subtle, real actions that he takes to save himself.
The Effect of Supporting Roles on JCVD’s Awesomeness: 10
There is not a character in this movie that you don’t feel something about. The side characters, normal people, JCVD comes in contact with completely encapsulate the world we all live in and the surreal lens through which that same world views JCVD. The cab driver speaks to him as if he owes her something; the video store clerks love him because he’s never hit Arabs in his movies. And everyone assumes he has held up the bank because their love and their judgment are both based on the fictional world they watch on DVD.
The villains are also exceedingly well-crafted. The ultimate bad guy, the man that appears to embody pure evil, nonetheless speaks the philosophical tenets that have been driving the movie and shaping the viewer’s interpretation all the way along. Arthur, the villain whose loyalty ultimately lies with JCVD, sparks sympathy in the viewer and sadness upon his death. A character that appears farcical at the beginning of the movie becomes three-dimensional as the story progresses through talking with JCVD and becomes the archetypal “hero ethics” character. He does what he imagines JCVD would do, not because he can think critically about the character he imagines JCVD to be, but because it symbolizes in his brain all that is best. As a viewer you become sympathetic to him because the child in us that yearns for absolutes recognizes the impulse that drives him to see JCVD as a hero and absolute warrior.
Finally there is his family. The speech delivered by his father and the pleas of his mother drive home what his position as an assumed bank robber costs him. It is easy to imagine him shouldering the load of responsibility in the movie, that is what action movie heroes do after all, but once his parents come on screen you see cracks form in his facade and the consequences of his actions become achingly apparent. Added to this is the character of his daughter always lurking in the background. She represents all that he wants but can’t have, and you are never quite sure what your position to her in the movie is, or what JCVD’s position to her is. He is her father, but even to his own daughter he is a source of embarrassment--a washed up movie star. The idea that his child could see him not as a parent, but as a celebrity, is one of the most subtly heartbreaking themes floating in the background of the story.
JCVD playing JCVD brings in all the connotations of action movie expectations which juxtapose with a very human drama. No one has allegiance to him except his parents and Arthur--not his daughter, not his fans, not his agent, not his wife, not his lawyer. He is left abandoned and mocked at the beginning of this movie and even the supposed bank robbery serves only as another avenue for schadenfrued.
We love this movie. It has spurned a passion to watch the work of an actor and remember what it was that made this man the “Muscles from Brussels” in the first place. What is the legend of JCVD and what might have been missed in its making?
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