A Jean-Claude Van Damme movie unlike any of his other films. In JCVD he plays a version of himself that is human and even vulnerable.The reason this film stumbles, however, is because of a young director who was trying to make it too "artsy." It would have played out much better straightforward, in my opinion.

Jean-Claude Van Damme gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages situation and reflects about his life during it. I never really understood why this movie is ranked higher than most Van Damme movies but also why it's got so many great reviews to begin with. It was pretty damn boring but also cheesy and stupid and most of the 'comedic' parts? Hardly even worked for me. If you wanna see the better version of JCVD? Go and watch 'Jean Claude Van Johnson' is a better project in pretty much every shape and form than this garbage fire. (0/10)

I could also say hallucinating or stunning rhythm. The leading character is performed by Jean-Claude Van Damme a Belgian actor and karate champion in a movie where he represents himself in a fiction plot (supposedly autobiographic?) that involves a post office bank assault with hostage retention where he gets caught on while trying to raise money. The whole movie is shot on that place and outside around it with the usual police attempt to negotiate with the sequestrator before stormimg the place. It results from a mistake that Van Damme is supposed to be the assaulter and sequestrator by the police and the public outside. Rapid images and scenes go on and on sometimes at a confusing rhythm till the end. At a certain point the movie includes a monologue of several minutes by Van Damme about his life and disappointments. He was also trying hard to keep his daughter's custody from his ex-wife but he was not succeeding at that. This movie is half funny half dramatic and is only worth for what you see while you keep watching it, I mean no message and no special meaning.

This is not the JCVD movie you are used to see. In fact, you won't see a single hand-to-hand fight. There's a couple of high kicks, but they are just at the meta level.This is not even a great movie. But if you're a fan of JCVD's B-movies, and miss the couple of good movies he once made, you should see it. This movie is quite mind boggling 'cause it shows you that JCVD can manage to be a great _actor_. Yes, please read that again. A great actor. Doesn't sound right, but it's true.I don't know if it is because he gets to speak his native language in this move, or if it is because the director is a genius, but anyway: If JCVD manages to mix what he did in this film with what he usually does in his action flicks, the result will be something to remember.