JCVD

To say that Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in "JCVD" is not exactly accurate. He embraces a screen version of his real-life travails, taking some real dramatic stretches (as well as some self-indulgent self-pity) along the way. The plot drops Van Damme back in Belgium (where he's trying to scrape together money for a bitter custody battle) and into the middle of a hostage situation that escalates into a reworking of "Dog Day Afternoon." This is an action film in which the flamboyant action occurs only in fantasy, and Van Damme is surprisingly engaging as a version of himself who acts a lot more like a vulnerable human being than an action hero as he tries to survive an armed gang of unraveling personalities. It's an impressive stunt that pays off in an action film for art movie aficionados and a foreign film for the popcorn crowd. Van Damme even gets to act in his native language.

The DVD features both the French language theatrical version (which features brief English language scenes) and an English dub version (which features French titles). Van Damme does his own English in the theatrical version but is dubbed by another actor in the English language version, which is confusing and distracting. The supplements are limited to two deleted scenes, which can be viewed with or without subtitles (I'd recommend with for all of us who are not fluent in French), and a digital copy of the film for portable media players.