The Armstrong Lie – Film Review

On October 22, 2012 Lance Armstrong was stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he won from 1999 to 2005 for taking drugs.

Famous Oscar-winning documentary film-maker Alex Gibney followed Armstrong for four years to chronicle his return to cycling after retirement as Armstrong tried to win his eighth Tour de France. Unexpectedly, Gibney was also there when Armstrong admitted to doping, which resulted in the film being retitled from The Road Back to The Armstrong Lie.

Gibney’s film is a rivetingly fascinating documentary, and it never ceases to be compelling for one single moment for way over two hours, even if you’re not into cycling. There’s something uniquely disturbing and depressing about it. Armstrong’s appearance on the Oprah show and his interview with Gibney shortly after is quite an eye-opener. But all the footage, old and new, is quite astonishing, with the early film now quite poignant.

Armstrong says he didn’t tell many lies just one big lie. And here we see him telling it over and over, as credibly and convincingly as it could only be if it were actually the truth. Gibney says: ‘I felt conned.’ So did everyone else, I guess.

He also says: ‘I think what pissed me off most was that I’d been used as a prop for a promo. But, you know, on a day to day basis, I like Lance.’ It shows in the finished film. It’s not a hatchet job at all. It’s one of good grace, kindness and sympathy.

The sad and depressing thing is that the extraordinary Armstrong has squandered his amazing personality and talent, and tarnished his reputation for ever, so hardly anyone will remember the good things about him. This film will help him out though. Even if Armstrong emerges from it as wildly ambitious, bitter, arrogant and ruthless, he still comes across as a desperately flawed but basically likeable human being, chock full of contradictions. It’s easy to like Lance.

Gibney is Best Documentary Oscar winner for Taxi to the Dark Side (2007), an in-depth look at the torture practices of the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 derekwinnert.com