The Program 2016

If there's anything Hollywood loves, it's a rags to riches story. The only thing it likes better is the polar opposite: a fall from grace. The story of cycling champion Lance Armstrong's descent from hero to top heel due to a doping scandal has all of the ingredients to make an incredibly incisive, razor sharp story about athletics, celebrity, media, and more. It had everything. And yet Stephen Frears' "The Program" offers absolutely zero insight into Armstrong, who he was, or why he did what he did. It doesn't even offer up a compelling look at his cycling career, which begs the question: Why does this movie even exist?

It exists to give a platform to Ben Foster, one of the most underrated actors working today. It's unfortunately rare to find him in a lead role with this much potential, and yet the screenplay by John Hodge (Trance) offers him very little to sink his teeth into.

From Academy Award® nominated director Stephen Frears comes the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of Lance Armstrong, one of the most celebrated and controversial men in recent history.

Starring: Ben Foster, Chris O'Dowd, Guillaume Canet
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes