Comeback kids

Jean-Claude Van Damme, “JCVD”

A kickboxer better known for his acrobatics than his acting, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s made his name with movies like 1988’s “Bloodsport” and 1992’s “Universal Soldier.” More recently, it’s been strictly direct-to-DVD territory for the “Muscles from Brussels.” Until this year that is, when he began earning unexpected accolades as a thespian for his turn in a little French film called “JCVD.” The movie stars Van Damme as himself, an action star on the decline whose career and family life are slipping out of his grasp. It’s a captivating, art-as-life turn that no one saw coming.