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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
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MAESTRO is one of those biopics where the great performances and well-crafted production values can't overcome the superficial approach, resulting in the viewer feeling indifferent. Seriously, watching it is one of the emptiest experiences I've had all year! With A STAR IS BORN, co-writer/director Bradley Cooper could "afford" to not present the musical performances in a stylized way, since the songs were original. It ended up being for the better, because the focus was on the different emotions the characters were feeling during those moments. This movie shows how passionate and intense Leonard Bernstein would get when conducting an orchestra, but it doesn't have the same effect in a story (it’s based on true events, but it’s still a dramatization) that's not trying to be raw. The world has heard these compositions before, so combining them with cinematic techniques in a creative way is expected. Instead, the movie uses them as a crotch. As if playing this pre-existing music (diegetically or not) was enough to make each scene work.
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