I really wanted to love JCVD. Unfortunately, the film is simply too flawed to really recommend dropping 12 bucks on. That being said, the premise is so interesting and Jean Claude Van Damme's performance is so surprisingly captivating that it should be immediately added to people's Netflix queues. And if there was ever a movie that deserved the Funny Games/The Ring instant remake, it's this film.

The biggest problem is that the bank robbery of the element of the film isn't done well and the film gives away many elements which could have been great twists. It really could have been a great study of how we judge people and the cult of celebrity but it barely skims the surface. If I ran a Hollywood studio, I would buy the rights to this film and give it to Charlie Kauffman to work on. It could be stunning.

Even though the film was disappointing, Jean Claude Van Damme's performance is a revelation. This is truly a performance which makes you step back and reassess the actor. Perhaps it was that the film was in his native language or that he actually lived through many of the smaller moments but Van Damme was amazing. He was surprisingly (and subtley) funny and he excelled in the little moments of the film. I'd honestly be surprised if Jean Claude doesn't get a lot more offers after this film. Perhaps he won't be the lead but he could make for a great villain or solid second lead.

One random oddity was that most of the footage from the initial trailer never made it into the film. It makes sense as it might be harder to root for JCVD if he's doing coke and kicking people's asses in Bulgaria, but it definitely threw me off a bit as I watched the film.