J.C.V.D. (2008)

J.C.V.D. proves how good of an actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (who plays a fictional version of himself that gets caught up in the middle of a post office heist) can be, but the satire isn't particularly clever or original and certain scenes feature pointless jump cuts. Around the 25-minute mark, there's a flashback that ends by showing a certain situation a second time except from a different point of view. It makes sense to recontextualize things that way, in order to surprise the viewer. However, there are plenty of other instances where the non-chronological order isn't necessary. If anything, it makes the plot drag. The well-executed long takes are eclipsed by the bad use of light and color. Seriously, this is one of the ugliest movies I've seen in a while.

4/10