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The Program é um filme decentemente dirigido, predatório, com uma excelente performance de Ben Foster. Ele junta o mosaico da carreira do ciclista Armstrong de forma hábil, engenhosa e enérgica. Mas para conquistar realmente o público, ele precisava de desenvolver o seu personagem também na sua vida pessoal. Portanto, se Armstrong tinha alguma vida pessoal (o encontro com a sua futura noiva e o casamento são apresentados sem foco em dois minutos e não a vemos mais no filme; ele em casa vive sozinho). O filme tem apenas um personagem com carácter mais desenvolvido (um colega de ciclismo com consciência), mas ele é secundário. Além disso, o público teria de simpatizar com ele pelo menos um pouco... Ainda assim, dou-lhe 4*, pelo profissionalismo de Frears e Foster. O filme é tão meticuloso, tão desinibido pela emoção, como o seu personagem principal. (20/10/2015)

Ben Foster right on target, but otherwise too cold and detached a mosaic, which is shot in the style of Rush, i.e. semi-documentary/semi-fiction, but above all thrilling and energetic, but while aforementioned film, even with its sharp editing and abbreviated narrative at the expense of drama, is spectacular precisely in the way it manages to convey pure, deep emotions in a small space, The Program fails to do so. Lance Armstrong is too cold and inhuman, making it impossible to sympathize with him much or take one thing or another from him. As a documentary, then, it fails in its delivery, as it becomes increasingly cinematic as the minutes tick by. Still, I respect the people behind it, because the subject is quite unique and difficult to film (11/05/2016)

The film is truly exhausting in its one-sided focus, but given that Lance defined himself as a saint for many years, it's a refreshing perspective. Plus, I only just realized how deeply it all went and how it actually looked. I wasn't that interested in the whole affair before. Ben Foster and Chris O'Dowd are both excellent! (07/03/2016)

It's not a downright bad effort, but I'm bothered by the rushed first third of the story, which clearly calls for further development. And I'm even more disappointed in the utter lack of emotion of the whole narrative. I understand that on the one hand, considering the slimy character of someone like Lance Armstrong, the film portrays, however, at least a slight touch of emotion wouldn't hurt. (55%) (07/01/2021)