michaer27 wrote:
Everyone saying it is a bad movie, I think you are absolutely wrong and approaching it from too narrow a perspective.
Is it a great movie? No. But...
This was a film made for a general audience. I don't think I learned a single thing watching it. And a lot of important and interesting things were left out, but that's the nature of movies. When you watch it, what are you watching it for? A documentary? Then go watch a doc. An in-depth Lord of the Rings epic telling of Lance's life? Go read a crap-ton of books.
I am always shocked at how people can go to a movie with completely unrealistic expectations and then are surprised when they see it.
But if you go expecting to see a dramatic reenactment of Lance's doping, you'll probably find this is at least an average film. From a cinematic perspective it was enjoyable. I have recommended it to a number of cyclists and non-cyclists and they enjoyed it in the right context.
Yes, the dialogue is heavy on exposition in places. And many of the characters get short-shrift (except Landis). But this was a narrative film that yes of course had some "shortcuts" to enhance the drama. Some of the cinematography was a little silly, but some was quite spectacular. And the acting is good.
Anyway, to everyone who will read this and avoid the movie because of people shitting on it here, think about what you are going to watch before you watch it. It's not a cycling movie as much as it is a movie about someone involved with cycling. I think the fact that I cannot remember a single thing happening that I didn't see coming but I still enjoyed it says something positive about the film.
I recommend it as an imperfect attempt, but worth 90 min of your life if you're sitting on the trainer.
Nope. It is a terrible movie.
It was originally shown to potential U.S. distributors. The film was deemed such poor quality that none thought they could make money from it. So it was recut. Some additional footage may have also been shot. On the second try, a minor league distributor agreed to distribute. Upon further assessment, that small company handed it off to its even smaller subsidiary. Ultimately a theatrical release was abandoned altogether. I think it went to a few theaters to abide by a contract obligation.
The sad thing is that Frears could have made a good film. All he had to do was show the truth, that everyone was doping, the system is completely corrupt, and anyone even remotely connected to the sport, including all the cycling media, knew about it. It could have been a great black comedy, showing all the people making money hand over fist from the rampant doping in pro sports pretending they are too dumb to figure out the obvious. The kicker could have been David Walsh, who portrays himself as a dogged investigator opposed to doping, is now the chief defender of a British team with riders climbing faster than Armstrong.
Instead he made a ridiculous morality play with a quality level below a typical Lifetime channel flick.