Rating: Sports movies are a tough nut to crack, but The Program succeeds because it isnt a sports movie. As director Stephen Frears gleefully points out, its a crime movie, with an unrepentant sociopath at its centre. When we first meet Lance Armstrong (Ben Foster), he distracts writer David Walsh (Chris ODowd) so that he can beat him at foosball. Its a small moment but it quickly characterises just what sort of a man Armstrong is. Despite saying that he just wants to ride his bike, it becomes very clear that what he really wants to do is win. The film then proceeds to rush through the first few years of Armstrongs career. It makes sure to show his first glimpse into the world of performance enhancing drugs and introduce us to all of the relevant players, but its workmanlike execution feels like its listing the facts rather than developing the story. We then quickly breeze past Armstrong getting and beating cancer, which considering how important it is to the character, is barely given any thought. Once the set-up slows down, the film is at its best when it locks in on Armstrongs character. Early on, we get to see the charitable Armstrong who creates Livestrong and visits with sick children. There are no ulterior motivations here and we see the genuine kindness that the character has. Then we get to see Armstrong on the course and its a whole other story. The kindness is gone, replaced with a terrifying intensity. Hes still outwardly pleasant but its punctuated with brief and frightening moments of viciousness. Its as if were seeing Armstrongs true colours when he approaches another rider in the race and threatens to ruin him if he doesnt keep his mouth shut. Theres a striking and genuine duality to the character but unfortunately, he often operates in one of these two extremes, failing to gain much depth as a result. Still, the character really succeeds thanks to Ben Fosters immersive performance. Known for his more out-there and often psychotic roles, he tones it down a lot here. As a result, he creates a believable Armstrong, with his swagger masking a lingering intensity. On top of that, Frearss use of archive footage blended into the races makes it genuinely hard at times to tell if youre watching Foster or the real Armstrong. This inclusion of real footage, however, is symptomatic of the film's biggest problem. Where it ultimately falters is its strict adherence to the truth. In fact, the whole plot structure seems fractured. The story is set up as though it will be told through the eyes of Walsh but he scarcely appears throughout the middle of the film. Then, just as Walsh disappears, another player enters the scene in Floyd Landis (Jesse Plemons), a new member on Armstrongs team who soon becomes disillusioned with his role as Armstrongs human shield on the course. The brief glimpses we get into Landiss life are fascinating, as he deals with his Mennonite faith, the guilt of being caught doping, and debating whether to give up Armstrong. More time should have been afforded to him as his arc is much more gripping and Plemons is just as impressive as Foster, if a little less showy. The decision Landis makes is so important to the story that its unfortunate the film couldnt have focused more time on that instead of its ritualistic depiction of the team constantly taking drugs. Most forgettable is the entire Dustin Hoffman subplot. Its meant to add another layer to Armstrongs deceptions but it comes and goes so quickly, with no on-screen resolution, that its completely unnecessary. Additionally, the brief handling of his marriage, which could be praised as fluid, instead reads as pointless. The film is mired in these facts and they often come at the expense of the main characters, which is where the real strength of the film lies. Whereas Frearss previous films Philomena and The Queen did a strong job of slightly altering the facts to provide an emotionally satisfying conclusion, The Program does nothing of the sort. Perhaps feeling burdened by how well-known Armstrongs story is, Frears chooses not to stray from the path, and were left with a very unsatisfying finale as a result. Regrettably, there's little closure for David Walsh and Floyd Landis, both of whom we spent so much time with. Ultimately though, its Armstrongs utterly unmoving confession and the lack of any quantifiable repercussions that make the ending of the film feel greatly unsatisfactory. The Program races to its finish but its unclear why. As a result, it ends on a somewhat sour note for an otherwise well-acted and occasionally exhilaratingly-shot docu-drama. The Program is in UK cinemas on 14th October.
Connor loves movies, comics, and TV, and is trying to write for people who feel the same way. When he's not sitting on the couch with his laptop, you might find him lying in his bed with his laptop.
