Drama
France,United Kingdom
The Program is a biographical drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by John Hodge. The film is based on the book "Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong" by journalist David Walsh, who becomes the central character of the film.
The film depicts the rise of Lance Armstrong, a former professional cyclist, and his Tour de France dominance, as seen through the eyes of Irish sports journalist David Walsh. Walsh is convinced that Armstrong's success is not solely due to his natural ability and hard work, but rather the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Determined to expose Armstrong, Walsh starts investigating the cyclist's past and present, speaking to former teammates, doping experts, and medical professionals. However, Armstrong aggressively denies the allegations and launches a defamation lawsuit against Walsh. As Walsh continues to dig deeper, he faces hostility and rejection from the cycling community and his own newspaper.
The film also explores the dark world of doping in professional cycling and the lengths to which some athletes will go to achieve success. The Program features notable performances from Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong and Chris O'Dowd as David Walsh.
The film was released in 2015 and received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the performances and the portrayal of the doping scandal, while others criticized the film for lacking depth and failing to fully explore the broader issues surrounding doping in the sport.
