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The Program DVD review “Always interesting…”

theprogramDirector: Stephen Frears

Screenplay by John Hodge, based on the book by David Walsh

Starring: Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Jesse Plemons

You may not know cycling, but you certainly know Lance Armstrong. Like a super-heroic man in spandex shorts, he fought cancer and then became a world champion…again and again. Getting so caught up in it all, a lot of the world seemed to ignore the adage that if something is too good to be true then it probably is. When it all came crashing down around Armstrong, the truth was finally revealed that he had been taking performance enhancing drugs all along. The Program chronicles Armstrong’s career from its highs to its lows, but most importantly, works as a captivating character study.

Given the nature of the Tour De France, you would expect an arduous, slow burning ascent to the climax of this story. Unfortunately, it feels more like an F1 Grand Prix where speed trumps distance. There’s certainly a lot to cram in, but the film does itself no favours by having the first 40 minutes feel like a condensed montage. We’re taken quickly through time, with on screen titles informing us of the year if we’re lucky, and even Armstrong’s battle with cancer is there one minute and gone the next.

The Program review

The Program review

Of course, we do want a film that explores many aspects, but there are those biopics that try and do it all, and those that restrain themselves. The Program is certainly the former, and not only that, but it also wants to tell other stories away from that of Armstrong. We also follow Irish journalist David Walsh (Chris O’Dowd), and halfway through we’re introduced to the conflicted Floyd Landis (Jesse Plemons). The film could have been told from any one of these perspectives, with the others as side (but no less important) characters. Instead it crams them all in and suffers for it.

There’s no denying the power of the story at the core however, and its power is mostly brought out due to a stunning turn by Ben Foster as the disgraced cyclist. Foster weaves a complex and conflicting performance, nailing down Armstrong’s power, charisma, and psychological failings. Throughout the runtime you’ll feel compassion, pride, betrayal, and even a little bit of fear as Armstrong becomes quite the cinematic villain. The rest of the cast are all strong in their roles, with O’Dowd proving he has a long and diverse career ahead of him.

Armstrong, whether portrayed realistically or not, is a fascinating character in this film. He’s a man who crave success but is denied such by his own genes. He defies biology and becomes a surprise success and soon uses that success to do good. Just how much of his heart is genuine when he stops by the dying children’s wards is debatable, and the film keeps it that way. You’re not going to like Armstrong in this film, but Frears certainly does more than enough to paint some understanding.

The Program review

The Program review

The cycling scenes, when they do come around, are beautifully shot, but their general absence is probably both an indictment of the corruption, and the fact that Frears is more interested in psychological misgivings and battles of wit. It’s a bold choice, as is Frears’ decision to leave interpretation of characters up to the audience. Sure Armstrong has problems, but is he genuine when sitting down with a dying child? Is Walsh just as obsessive about winning as Armstrong? And is Landis a genuinely troubled cog in Armstrong’s machine or just another cheat?

Always interesting, The Program seems to have been doping itself. Stripped down and more focused would have been the way to go, but what we do get is a fairly comprehensive and unbiased look at the whole affair. It’s a film that wants to show all sides, and give many different accounts, but loses some of its impact along the way.

The Program is available now to own on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital download.

The Program review, by Luke Ryan Baldock, was originally published during the London Film Festival.

Luke likes many things, films and penguins being among them. He's loved films since the age of 9, when STARGATE and BATMAN FOREVER changed the landscape of modern cinema as we know it. His love of film extends to all aspects of his life, with trips abroad being planned around film locations and only buying products featured in Will Smith movies. His favourite films include SEVEN SAMURAI, PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, IN BRUGES, LONE STAR, GODZILLA, and a thousand others.

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