In what was one of the biggest sporting controversies of our time, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace shocked the world by pulling back the curtain on the lengths some will go to in the pursuit of perfection and success. The Program, directed by Stephen Frear, is an intriguing biopic of Armstrong’s simultaneous rise into sports stardom and descent into a world of narcissism, deceit and doping.
Based around the doping expose’ from sports journalist David Walsh, who at the time of writing was largely shunned by his colleagues and the cycling industry for speaking out on what was a well-known secret, The Program provides a greater insight into the dark side of Armstrong’s secret life that the many non-fiction releases never could – the injections, the blood bags, the systematic lying from Armstrong followed by bizarre justifications to all those around him.
Ben Foster gives a convincing performance as Armstrong, harnessing all of the cockiness, arrogance and anger that propelled him from a young and naive athlete struck down with testicular cancer at the age of 21, to the drug-fuelled winner of seven Tour De France races, all while maintaining total control over his team, his world and his lies. 
Seen as above suspicion and untouchable, journalist David Walsh, played by Chris O’Dowd, grows increasingly uneasy about Armstrong’s rapid rise, and begins to dig deeper into his connections with controversial sports doctor Michele Ferrari (Guillaume Canet), a known advocate of performance enhancing drugs. Upon confronting Armstrong on his alleged doping, Walsh’s name is dragged through the mud as star-struck journalists and the close-knit brotherhood of the cycling community either turn a blind eye or maintain their vow of silence.
Armstrong’s world finally falls apart when teammate Floyd Landis (Jesse Plemons) gives a positive reading for EPO and is subsequently banned from cycling. Rather than supporting him, Armstrong makes the fatal mistake of leaving him high and dry and with nowhere to turn. Ultimately Landis’ combination of a renewed conscience and a sense of betrayal from Armstong’s treatment leads him to confessing to sophisticated drug use amongst the team, and providing evidence to bring Armstrong down.
While The Program is not without its flaws – the flashbacks at times can be a little tedious and over-explained, the soundtrack is at times obtrusive and Dustin Hoffman’s cameo is so unnecessary and brief, you wonder why he agreed to it at all; the movie as a whole gives a fascinating look into the mind of a man who wanted to win at all costs, and does a better job than other recent attempts at capturing the essence of someones life, (Steve Jobs springs to mind) with Foster’s portrayal of Armstrong truly succeeding in grasping the mindset of someone believing their own lies. The Program also shows us how susceptible we as a society are to the lure of a champion’s story, turning a blind eye despite the evidence and clues to the contrary often being right in front of us.
Release date : In cinemas 26th November
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