User Reviews

I am overjoyed to see that one of my childhood heroes has so lovingly to a genre which expands his histrionic capabilities. When you hear of JCVD, you do not expect a Noir. I never thought that he could do this. This european movie, probably Belgian/french, his native languages, is dark, gritty, brooding and tense. I didn't understand the ?french parts interspersed between the english parts. But I could follow the flow. It would have been lovely to understand the nuances of the language though. The bouncer/Lukas, is a nightclub bouncer , now in dire straits. He needs to keep up his daughter's education and lookin after properly as his wife isn't alive any more. His phone has only one number in list- his daughter's. Unfortunately he is forced to take up a bouncer's job, under a boss who prints counterfeit currency. The police agents blackmail him to be a snitch. Finally his mission succeeded but the ending is open ended. I presume to believe that he is alive. There are lots of close ups to show the lines of experience in JCVD's face. Deep furrows telling untold stories of pain, suffering but also of fights. Weary eyes carrying on for the one love of his life-his daughter, a sweet kid, she understands and respects her father for the sacrifices he made and the effort he is giving for her. And her thoughts keep JC going through this umrewarding life. The machinations of the agents force him to hoodwink his boss, who trusts him. The action sequences are few but always as per the requirement of the screenplay. Less dialogues. JCVD talks very less. Emotive eyes and actions. The violence is real life. No blockbuster sound and unbelievable effects. A grey and bluish tone throughout which matches the storyline, which is not original but executed with panache. We have all gone or going through these emotions at the wrong end of our ages, but we still have to soldier on. We feel the same pain in his eyes. It can happen to us. May be not the actions, but in other ways. The mode is same. A truly noir gem.

Although he was too old for the part, Jean-Claude Van Damme was effective as the granite-faced character Lukas, a nightclub bouncer with a checkered past. The film is a by-the-numbers action picture with the brooding widower Lukas struggling to take care of his daughter. Lukas gets linked up with a dangerous forgery operation. In effect, he is blackmailed by a dirty police officer to feed inside information about a large-scale operation of printing fake money.

The most interesting character beyond Lukas is Lisa Zaccherini, who is an expert forger needed for the print run of the money. Lisa's past is fuzzy, but it is clear that she is another victim in being forced to engage in the counterfeiting.

The moody atmosphere and slowpacing are drawbacks in this standard thriller set in Belgium. Van Damme's character Lukas is described as "a survivor who is able to adapt to anything." It is unfortunate that there was not a more creative ending that tied together the loose ends of the counterfeiting scheme, the police sting, and the ultimate fate of Lukas and his daughter.

As I indicated in my summary line, those who sit down to watch this movie expecting the flashy and action-packed tone that was in Jean-Claude Van Damme movies of the past will probably be disappointed with this movie. There isn't that much action on display here, and it's not depicted with great intensity or excitement. But I was kind of expecting that, seeing that Van Damme is getting on in years, and also because the movie was a European production and not a Hollywood production. And I did find the movie had enough merit to make me glad I picked it up from my local library. The action may not be high energy, but what action there is is interesting to watch, because it's choreographed and directed in a manner that seems much more realistic than usual. You do sense genuine struggle, and feel the coldness when someone is injured or killed. Some of the action is also directed with long Steadicam shots that adds novelty and interest. Script-wise, I admit the movie is nothing too special, seeing that the story unfolds in a familiar manner, including the so-called "surprise twist" near the end. But the movie does move along fairly briskly, and isn't boring despite the general predictability. Van Damme and the other actors do give solid performances. And while a somewhat low budget production, the movie's production values look fairly solid from the cinematography to the locations. If you don't mind the lack of swift-paced and frequent action, and want to see this general formula done with a European flair, give this movie a try.

"Lukas" is well worth a watch, mainly because of its fine performance by Jean-Claude Van Damme. This is not the kind of sentence you're going to read a lot when browsing through imdb but : good work deserves laurels. Here he does very well as an aging man battered by fate who's struggling to keep afloat in a vicious and imperfect world.

Van Damme, by the way, is still in excellent physical shape, as proven by a number of well-choreographed fights and stunts.

The movie has a number of other assets too, but sadly it is not without its inconsistencies and plot holes. For instance : try to imagine, dear reader, that you are a ruthless gangster and that you are looking for a reliable helper. You meet a man who looks a suitable candidate - he's tough, he's silent, he's obedient, he needs money - but you want to make sure he's going to remain faithful and do exactly as you tell him. So what do you do ? I'd suggest : pay him well, give him a nice bonus here and there, flatter his ego, indulge his vices, introduce him slowly (VERY slowly) into a world of ever deeper crime. However, kidnapping his only, much beloved daughter and holding her hostage seems completely bonkers - the man might very well explode into an ultra-violet rage and shoot a few bullets through your brains, or through the brains of your accomplices. Or he might just pretend to go along for a few weeks, while plotting a retribution worthy of Shakespeare at his darkest...

Still, we've all got our own theories on how to motivate employees.