Review of The Armstrong Lie (2013) by Foxgrove — 21 Jul 2014
A riveting film from documentary film maker Alex Gibney about 7 times Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong. What started out as a celebration of the man and his achievements became something else entirely when mid production it was revealed that Armstrong had used body enhancing drugs to assist him to those triumphs.
The man himself comes over as a paradox, charismatic on one hand, but also Machiavellian and self serving. His life has certainly been eventful, what with his bout with cancer, and one does get a sense that he feels a deep sorrow about the lie that not only crushed him, but also affected the lives of many others.
The film pertinently points out that even though his 7 championships were won with the help of drugs, this was in an era when the whole sport was tarnished in this way. It's also interesting to be privy to other smaller corruptions that were taking place on the track, with intense rivalries not just between other teams and individuals, but also between team mates! This is what documentary film making should be all about.
It is both Informative and compelling.
This review of The Armstrong Lie (2013) was written by Foxgrove on 21 Jul 2014.
The Armstrong Lie has generally received positive reviews.
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