To begin, Armstrong speaks candidly with the director, seemingly exhausted because, as we’re informed by the text at the bottom of the screen, he has just finished that interview with Oprah. Gibney had been lied to during that 2009 project and he insisted that Armstrong explain himself. Reconfiguring his footage and adding himself to the mix as narrator, Gibney gives us Armstrong’s backstory and his rise to greatest cyclist in the world. Much of the focus is on Armstrong’s 2009 comeback, and his apparent serious attempt to ride clean. Of course, as we know now, at some point Armstrong abandoned that, in favor of the PED’s that played such an important part in making Lance the winner he was so desperate to become.
As we watch Armstrong train for that 1999 comeback, it’s clear that losing is not in his vocabulary. Former teammates describe him as an intimidating bully. Since Armstrong spent his career lying, the fact that he would bully teammates and critics is no surprise. However, when thinking about the 1999 comeback, it’s hard to understand why he would come back. He had achieved immortality; apparently his ego allowed him to believe he could outsmart his critics. Unfortunately for Lance, though he did seem to try and ride clean, when he couldn’t compete at the level he was used to, he couldn’t resist doping.
Gibney’s work is excellent. He makes it clear at one point that he too got swept up in Armstrong’s legitimately inspirational story. We see and hear about Lance’s cancer, and long road to recovery, his commitment to becoming a stronger athlete and better man than he was before the diagnosis, and the subsequent effect his story had on millions of cancer suffers worldwide. Liar or not, there’s no denying that Lance Armstrong did a lot to bring hope to this with cancer, and to raise money to find a cure for the disease.
The Armstrong Lie moves along at a nice pace, and Gibney’s ability to look at the entirety of Armstrong’s life, contradictions and all, is what makes it notable. Being able to see Lance through the years is the perfect setup: young Lance is cocky; the older Lance is still cocky, but far more polished in his interview skills, able to protect the Armstrong myth without the slightest flinch. Beyond that, the interviews with Lance’s former teammates, and other cycling enthusiasts brings to the forefront an undeniable love for the sport, and a sense of embarrassment over the doping scandals—of which Lance Armstrong is far from the only one—that have plagued it.
What of Armstrong himself? It’s hard to say. While he does seem to have some level of remorse for his actions, he still seems open to lashing out at others. Besides, given how much he’s lied. Why should we believe anything he says now? It’s hard not to think a guy like Lance might be trying to preserve what worth his name still had. Whatever the case, The Armstrong Lie is a fascinating look at an incredibly complex man who couldn’t accept losing.
Presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer looks quite good. The film incorporates footage from several different years. Gibney’s footage of Lance on the 2009 tour is amazing, shot with handheld cameras, and early GoPro prototypes mounted on Armstrong’s bike. Image detail is solid, and film grain is present throughout.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track utilizes the entire soundstage when necessary. Dialogue is clear and consistent throughout, and the few songs that are sprinkled throughout get a bit of subwoofer usage.
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), and Thai subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- Commentary with Director Alex Gibney: Gibney discusses the shooting process, shares thoughts on interview subjects, describes his overall approach to the film, and more.
- Q & A Session at the Toronto Film Festival: Alex Gibney, Frank Marshall, Bill Strictland, Jonathan Vaughters, and Betsey Andreu discuss how the film came to be, and their theories as to why it took so long for the truth to come out.
- Deleted Scenes: Nine in total
- Theatrical Trailer
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy
