THE PROGRAM by Stephen Frears

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Stephen Frears finds little time for melodramatic clichés, opting instead for a less sugar coated, enigmatic and three dimensional character driven biopic about one of the most controversial, of not the most controversial, figure in modern sports history - Lance Armstrong - in his latest film THE PROGRAM.

Two years after the superior documentary work by ALEX GIBNEY, THE ARMSTRONG LIE, the great British filmmaker STEPHEN FREARS aims to once again expose the truth about the charismatic and controversial LANCE ARMSTRONG with his latest feature THE PROGRAM.

Those who are expecting the usual biopic, the kind that makes the Oscar rounds come award season, will most likely be disappointed by the frank nature of this exploration of a real life anti-hero. The film has some real energy behind it, and the stylization of some of its sequences and music choice adds some true adrenaline to this unflinching portraya. But the blunt nature of this character driven examination has little time for the usual melodramatic cliches, and is more interested in a true chronicling of the rise and fall of the famous cyclist, choosing this aspect over a deep examination of his personal and family life, that mostly remain uncovered.

For those who do not know it, LANCE ARMSTRONG was a cancer survivor who became a record-breaking TOUR DE FRANCE winner thanks to a unique blend of charismatic determination and biochemical element. A true driving point of the storyline of the program is the antagonism and rivalry between Armstrong and Sunday Times reporter DAVID WALSH, whose writings the script is based on, and whose exposè on the cyclist's systematic doping provoked a particularly aggressive lawsuit. WALSH is portrayed by comedian CHRIS O'DOWD, who provides strong support in an excellent piece of casting by FREARS.

THE PROGRAM also occasionally examines the politics of the sport, and its vulnerability in the eyes of arguably its biggest megastar ever.

There is no doubt, however, about the fact that it is the representation of ARMSTRONG himself that is the pivotal point of the film, and as such a lot of responsibility was given to BEN FOSTER in the leading role. FOSTER does an exceptional job, and is frighteningly scary in his portrayal of the sportsman's obsession with victory at all costs. His performance is also very physical, as shown not only in the training sequences, but also by the powerful facial expressions that coat even the most silent of sequences with great intensity.

As mentioned earlier, his embodiment of ARMSTRONG is as an ultimate anti-hero, and despite his obvious guilt, mobster or war general like tactics, there is something downright enigmatic about him. This is shown by scenes alternating his mid-race warnings to other cyclists that threaten his status with scenes in which he visits hospitals and offers support to young cancer patients.

In the latter case, it is worth mentioning a scene in which he appears to give preference to a particularly ill boy, who is unable to talk, over some other appointment - this is a perfect example of an enigmatic moment in which a viewer is uncertain as to whether or not ARMSTRONG means what he does, or whether this is simply part of his wider plan of power and success. Even in film form, the impression is that he has the ability to charm and confuse the viewer, but ultimately the truth of his despicable tactics exposes him as a liar and a cheat.

Perhaps it is true that this dramatization of the story doesn't quite ring as impactful as THE ARMSTRONG LIE, nor is it as insightful, though it's hard to even name many features in the documentary form that are as essentially rewarding as GIBNEY's film, which for what it is can be said to be a little underrated. Nevertheless, it is a refreshingly fascinating and sometime scary insight into the psychology of obsession, and in this sense one that is more universal than its dimension as a sports biopic would have you believe.

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