‘The Armstrong Lie’ Relies Mostly on Overkill

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Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Lance Armstrong lied, we get it. He was busted in that lie, and he went to the nations confession facilitator – Oprah – and looked appropriately concerned when he did confess that he was dishonest. Alex Gibney’s further indictment, “The Armstrong Lie,” has the feeling of piling it on.

This is a dissection of the untruths that Armstrong perpetuated – through his entourage, through his sport of cycling – and does lend context to the circumstance of a bitter situation. But this is 122 minutes long, and it’s like sitting through 122 minutes of the trial scene from ‘JFK’ – “back, and to the left, back and to the left.” It’s overkill, and smacks of a personal hit job. Gibney was originally hired to chronicle Armstrong’s comeback in the Tour de France, but ended up feeling shafted by his own admission. This is comprehensive, but too much, and unless you have a hatred toward Lance Armstrong and/or professional cycling (which is pretty much a farce), just go to YouTube and download the confession to Father Oprah again. That will do just fine.

“The Armstrong Lie” begins with the background. Documentary maker Alex Gibney (“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” “Taxi to the Darkside”) takes on the assignment of Lance Armstrong’s 2009 comeback to win and unprecedented eighth Tour de France championship. In the midst of the filming, the accusations begin to fly about Armstrong’s performance enhancing doping, which he had previous and vehemently denied. The walls start tumbling down.

Director Alex Gibney (center) Puts the Spotlight on Lance Armstrong in ‘The Armstrong Lie’ Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

What’s that line that Rhett says to Scarlett in “Gone with the Wind”? Lance is like the thief who is not regretful about what he stole, but is damn regretful that he got caught. The seven championships were revoked (which brings up a favorite quote of the character Annie Hall - “La di da”) and Lance ends up in Oprahland talking to the guru. Gibney adds several indicting testimonies, including former riders and insiders. We get it, cycling is a cheater’s sport, and Lance was king.

This breakdown could have remained in a solid state and it wouldn’t had made any difference to Lance’s fate. But like a long and comprehensive magazine article, it has its moments, and it also has a sense of redundancy – “back, and to the left” – that becomes like bludgeon. It will be up to each viewer to determine whether Lance deserves it or not, but the presentation favors enough is enough.

Alex Gibney is a solid and Oscar winning documentary filmmaker. He meticulously exposes each note of deception, leaving a Lance Armstrong in the dust of sports history. It’s obviously a means to some endgame, yet afterwards Lance still has no championships left, and is still pretty much a disgrace. This film may tell you why all that happened, but there is no context as to the environment that caused it, save Lance’s own selfishness. Was there more? The film doesn’t make it clear. Lance is enough.

There are some former colleagues that dance on the cyclist’s grave in the film, and still don’t seem satisfied until what? Incarceration? Gibney crafts a sure indictment, point-by-point, his skill as a nonfiction storyteller apparent in each frame. Lawyers should hire Gibney to conceive of documents against their opponents, because his skill could surely bury a criminal or two – like he did Armstrong.

The Cyclist Trains for His Comeback in ‘The Armstrong Lie’ Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

We all knew people with the “Live Strong” yellow bracelets, sincere folks who were looking for a bit of inspiration in a cynical, hero-less world. If there is anything to be learned from Lance Armstrong is that human beings are blessedly flawed, with none any better than the other. The thing that makes you great also has the power to destroy you, and that line between great and destruction is razor thin.

Lance can go retire now, with several million in the bank and several thousand feet of living space. Don’t cry for him, Argentina, or anywhere else. The comfort of millions of dollars in the end will prove worthwhile for the King of Cycling, up until another cheater comes along and pulls the wool over the suckers’ eyes.

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com