I feel I don’t talk about this movie enough; mostly because it isn’t really an action move in the traditional sense but was really more of a catharsis so Jean-Claude Van Damme could exorcise some personal demons.
I think JCVD is easily his finest acting performance to date; where we normally associate him with kicking people in the face this monologue is a raw and deeply emotional look at the Muscles from Brussels. He talks about his battles with drugs and how he achieved his lifelong dream but still feels like it’s for nothing. At various points he breaks down and you have to wonder if he was even acting at all.
You almost feel guilty or uncomfortable for watching as it feels like you are interrupting something very personal and intimate.