goreilly40 As a sports fan, this movie involving one of the darkest scandals in its history was something I had to see. Having watch it, I can say I enjoyed it but felt as though it could have been better and the story could have had more depth to it. Ben Foster is nothing short of a revelation in his portrayal of the controversial figure of Lance Armstrong and his many faces, the public charismatic sportsman and champion in the fight against cancer to the behind the scenes ruthless bully who threatened to destroy anyone or anything who got in his way. Likewise Chris O'Dowd as the journalist David Walsh who steadfast refused to give into intimidation and didn't allow himself to be fooled by the deception. Jesse Plemons performance as the conflicted Floyd Landis who played a key role in the investigation was also a positive for the movie, likewise Dustin Hoffman as Bob Hamman.One issue I had with the movie was the skimming over of a few key events. Not the cycling as such, but the USADA investigation which would expose the extent of Armstrong's cheating, Armstrong's legal attempts to block it, and the death threats issued to those involved were covered almost as an after thought near the end of the movie, this should've been given more time in the movie as it was a key element in the whole affair. One frustrating aspect of this movie was almost the complete omission of two key players in the story, Greg LeMond, the ex-TDF winner who was almost ruined by Armstrong because he dared to speak out against him, and Travis Tygart, the head of the USADA investigation which ultimately exposed the doping scandal, who as previously mentioned was subjected to a number of death threats, were barely mentioned. Considering the part they played in the whole saga, this was a big error on the part of the movie.This movie was enjoyable and fascinating, but I felt it was partially undermined by skimming over several key events and the omission of some key people.

eddie_baggins The life and times of bike racing legend turned exposed drug cheat extraordinaire Lance Armstrong will forever and a day make for an intriguing and shocking story and while Philomena and The Queen director Stephen Frear's feature exploring the 'program' that Armstrong and his racing team developed to systematically rout the system is insightful, it's still a rather cold and strangely structured piece that gets us no closer to knowing who Armstrong really was or what made him into the figure he is today.Those seeking an Armstrong biopic will be left sorely disappointed by The Program, as its main goals are signposted early by throwing the viewer headfirst into Armstrong's later life as an up and coming racer, a cancer survivor and eventually a superstar of the sport that he became a household name for his achievements and then a name that will tarnish the racing industry for the foreseeable future.Frear's bases his tale on Irish reporter David Walsh's book who is here played by the impressive Chris O'Dowd and that books focus clearly drives The Program to be almost entirely centred around what went on behind closed doors (or caravan doors) with Armstrong and his crew but it's the films sporadically used racing scenes that really get the heart going and it would've been great for the film to be a little more 'cinematic' in its ambitions, it would've likely helped the films causes upon release to in what was a very lacklustre run at cinemas despite the interest in the Armstrong story and Ben Foster's impressive central display as Armstrong.A long time student of supporting roles (his turns in 3:10 to Yuma and Lone Survivor are highlights) and the odd lead, it's great to see Foster cast in such a high profile role and looking past his uncanny resemblance to Armstrong, Foster's turn is full of physical and mental commitment. It's not an easy role, Armstrong comes across as a totally unlikeable and self-obsessed creation (watch as Armstrong sheds tears at placing third on the podium) and Foster doesn't hold back from the narcissistic creation that the racing superstar no doubt was and probably still is today, despite his great work for cancer research the world over.The Program is a watchable and proficiently made examination of a certain aspect of Armstrong's life and also the shadowy dealings of the racing industry but it never really reaches a great height considering the materials at its disposals and its inability to get down to what made Armstrong tick is considerably infuriating, despite Fosters winning performance.3 blood bags out of 5

Hellmant 'THE PROGRAM': Three Stars (Out of Five) Biographical drama flick, based on the life of Lance Armstrong. The film was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Frears (who also helmed such critically acclaimed hits as 'PHILOMENA', 'THE QUEEN', 'DANGEROUS LIASIONS' and 'HIGH FIDELITY') and it was written by John Hodge (who also wrote 'TRAINSPOTTING', 'SHALLOW GRAVE' and other Danny Boyle movies). The script is based on the book 'Seven Deadly Sins', by journalist David Walsh. Ben Foster stars as Armstrong and Chris O'Dowd plays Walsh; the movie costars Jesse Plemons, Guillaume Canet, Lee Pace, Denis Menochet and Dustin Hoffman. It's an interesting film, but it seems like the filmmakers could have gotten a lot more from that story.The movie follows Armstrong's (Foster) initial attempts at becoming a cycling hero, his battle with cancer, and then his rise to tremendous fame, and success, while using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Journalist David Walsh (O'Dowd) suspected Armstrong wasn't playing fairly, from early on, but he had trouble finding evidence to prove it. He eventually caught some breaks (in the story) when some of Armstrong's friends, and teammates, came forward. Walsh's book, and this film, chronicle that story.Foster gives a really impressive, and very dedicated, performance (in the lead); but he does make Armstrong seem like a bit of a monster. It's hard really to find any characters to root for in this movie, except Walsh, and that's odd coming from a sports film; that's also about an incredible athlete and cancer survivor. The filmmakers never seem to look too deeply, into anyone's true motives; and they definitely paint Armstrong out to be a bit of a villain. Other than that, the film is well made.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuGIEoCGrtw

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. The fallen king. The disgraced idol. We expect there to be more to the story of Lance Armstrong, but the bottom line is really pretty simple. Lance Armstrong is a liar. Lance Armstrong is a fraud. The movie offers little in the way of excuses or explanations, and you'll likely think even less of Armstrong after the movie … if that's even possible.Ben Foster turns in a nice performance and is believable as Lance the cyclist, Lance the teammate, and Lance the doper. But even Foster can't quite capture the public façade or reach the level of deception that the real life Lance maintained for years. Chris O'Dowd is spot on as David Walsh, the sportswriter who wrote the book on which the film is based, "Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong". In fact, the movie would likely have been more interesting had it focused on Walsh's research and pursuit, rather than re-hashing the all too familiar Armstrong deceit.Director Stephen Frears (The Queen, High Fidelity, The Grifters) works with the screenplay from John Hodge (Trainspotting) and we see how Lance battled through testicular cancer and later sought out Dr. Ferrari (Guillaume Canet) – the Godfather of blood doping. We get many shots of the familiar yellow jersey during numerous Tour de France races, and we hear Lance pontificate on what sets him apart: desire, hunger, heart and soul, and guts. Later we hear his proclamation of innocence followed by "I'm the most tested athlete on the face of the planet".Jesse Plemons ("Breaking Bad", "Fargo") has slimmed down and plays the crucial role of Floyd Landis – a devout Mennonite, Lance teammate, and the final straw in the crumbling of an empire. It's Landis who broke "the silence around cycling", and forced an industry and the public to accept what most of us hoped against all hope wasn't true.Armstrong's infamous "Oprah" appearance and public admission brought poignancy to his own words: "We are the authors of our life stories." Perhaps this lesson is as valuable as all the money Livestrong raised for cancer research. Picturesque Hamilton Pool in Austin makes an appearance, as do songs from The Ramones, The Fall ("Mr. Pharmacist") and Leonard Cohen. While the film is not at the level of Alex Gibney's documentary "The Armstrong Lie", it is a reminder that real life can be more dramatic and devastating than the movie version.