First Thoughts - And Fresh Images - On Jean Claude Van Damme's THE EAGLE PATH (aka FULL LOVE)

[Our thanks to Mike Leeder of Impact Magazine for passing on his first impressions of Jean Claude Van Damme's The Eagle Path.]

Hi Todd, I thought you and everybody at ScreenAnarchy might be interested in hearing a bit more about Jean-Claude Van Damme's 2nd directorial outing "The Eagle Path", formerly known as "Full Love'.

I had the great pleasure of watching the first cut of the movie recently, with Jean-Claude in Hong Kong literally a day or so after he completed editing. I'd previously visited the set in Thailand and been shown several scenes during editing, but this was the first time he screened the full cut of the movie to anyone.

The plot has already been discussed in a couple of newspieces, and as for the title change, "The Eagle Path" title is very relevant when you see the movie. The movie looks very big, with cinematography by Doug Milsome who shot "Full Metal Jacket', and some great camerawork from Ross Clarkson. The film has a very good 'visual style" and makes great use of the Thai locations without just using the same cliched locations of so many films shot in Bangkok.

The direction is very assured, and there's some great camerawork and performances that compliment the story and drama. Its really hard to talk too much about Jean-Claude's performance without giving away too much about the film, but its a very different Jean-Claude we see in the film, he's an almost accidental hero if you could call him the hero.

Its not the action movie you think it might be, its more of an action drama and has a different feel to it, it comes across to me like a "Johnnie To" movie, as the story and situations and dramatic elements are explored just as much if not more than the action beats.

I'll be reviewing the film for Impact www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk shortly, and we just conducted an interview with Jean-Claude talking about this film, "JCVD" and some of his other projects that we'll be running shortly too.

JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME fresh off the critical acclaim he received for "J.C.V.D", now is directing, writing, producing and starring in "THE EAGLE PATH" AKA "FULL LOVE". In the film he portrays "Frenchy", an emotionally lost Ex-GI turned taxi driver somewhere in South-East Asia where he crosses paths with "Sofia", played by Spanish actress (CLAUDIA BASSOLS), a woman whose mysterious life mesmerizes him drawing him into a world where he must protect her from an unhealthy relationship with high class and vicious business owner "Soli", (ADAM KARST), and maybe even herself. With the help of his Best friend, "Bobby Jackson" (JOSEF CANNON) the alcoholic, paraplegic former Military specialist. They set out on a path together, "THE EAGLE PATH" that could free them all from the self imposed prison they each find themselves in.