the unspoken truth of performance enhancing drugs.. both the good and bad.. the side effects and the glory that comes from using them. How many big sports names were mentioned in this movie is mind blowing... most of them were house hold names that even your kids might have hanging up on there walls.. from major sports all the way down to the WWE.. A real look into the truth of America's biggest starrs...
it's a documentary, sure, and sometimes i know that that's the best sleep therapy anyone can ask for, but this one will sneak up on you. starting out as a personal look at steroid use and its far-reaching effects on american culture, not to mention it's youngest adherents, it becomes a commentary and a question about, f'instance, how far will we morally go to win...?
if you've ever looked in the mirror and wondered what it would take to make yourself look like the superstar you alone seem to think you are, then don't be surprised to find yourself thinking about this film days after you've seen it...
Regarding filmmaker Christopher Bell: If you are anti, you'll say he is pro; and if you are pro, you will say he did not go far enough. Bell's alleged "moral dilemma", (that his/our so-called "heroes" were flawed for using PED's/Performance Enhancing Drugs) often comes off as childishly simplistic and overwrought, merely an affectation to advance the plot. It comes off as more sly wink, with his own smarmy brand of humor, than true righteous indignation. I have extremely serious issues with his portrayals of how "easy" it is to obtain steroids and how to manufacture bogus "legal" supplements. These segments were both misleading and downright irresponsible, particularly in light of the crackdown on those attempting to obtain steroids. There are now a vast number of people doing hard time and some have even lost their lives (the ultimate "unintended consequence") in this new "war on testosterone", yet Bell does not once mention this and treats the issue as a lighthearted joke. I consider this a major fault in this film, an omission that undermines the rest of the content by effectively leaving the viewer ignorant of the serious consequences facing the "little guy" (rather than rich sports/Hollywood figures who can afford expensive legal resources), and avoids taking to task the law enforcement arms who would rather make a "safe" steroid arrest than take the personal risk of going gun to gun against violent armed drug gangsters pushing serious drugs that actually are a menace to society, unlike steroids. Greg Valentino is brought in for shock value, and again, it is left for the viewer to assume his distorted arms are the result of steroid use, despite the fact there is no other person shown with a similar look (synthol oil), yet the segments with Jay Cutler and Will Harris were cut from the film(?). The segments with John Romano and Dr. Yesalis, who have something constructive to say, should have been expanded over the Valentino footage. Bell also dropped the ball regarding the Sylvester Stallone incident in Australia, reinforcing the impression that Stallone was physically arrested for "Steroids", when in fact the compound was HGH, was legally held by Stallone under a prescription, and that Stallone never spent any time in handcuffs or in jail. The beef was strictly an importation issue, nothing more (until the biased media got hold of the story, that is). Stallone's comments about HGH ("It's nothing") and pro-testosterone comments ("Improves the quality of life"..."May be sold over the counter in 10 years") regarding mature men and HRT are not mentioned. Let me point out the hypocrisy of actress Suzanne Somers freely championing hormone therapy for women without a peep heard from the media, while Stallone is loudly reviled for doing the exact same thing for men, an outrageous display of the double standard gone wild. Bell's love-hate relationship with bodybuilding and powersports provide him with a dragon to both ride and slay at the same time in his quest for fame, but it is a shame he feels it necessary to step on both the "innocent and the guilty" in his juvenile tantrum against Catholic style disillusionment (Was it really necessary, for example, to dog Arnold by pointing out the winner of the Arnold Classic had a steroid related arrest history?). I could go on, but the intelligent reading this will "get my drift", while the close-minded fanatics cannot be helped anyway. At least he did cover the positive use of steroids in medicine, and included the HIV+ subjects comments, and makes the point that steroid use is no "shortcut", and users in fact train as hard or harder than alleged "naturals". The film does more good than harm in the total scheme of it's subject matter, but is very far from definitive for the general public. The film is vastly superior to the Documentary "The Man Whose Arms Exploded", which was rife with misinformation and was designed to be an anti-Steroid/PED propaganda piece (Curiously, both films feature many of the same people). It may be better to simply man-up and produce a blatantly pro-PED piece rather than claim to be evenhanded and fail both sides in the process. Nonetheless, I still highly recommend seeing the film and let the chips fall where they may, although it still leaves the burden on anyone sporting an above-average physique to defend themselves against those who have seen the film and now fancy themselves "experts", but remain hostile on the subject. Two steps forward, and one step back for "Bigger, Stronger and Faster".
this is a very good documentary. it makes you question everything you ever thought about competition, ambition and dreams of successs. it is very funny and very touching. just the beginning is enough to receive the good rating. i could relate to so much in this story told in a piercingly honest narrative. the unvarnished truth is what is striking about this work; and it manages to be well balanced as well. i especially like that it is such a personal familial account while including an entire society and so much of its history. the parents were so sweet and ernest. they were genuinely baffled about how they came to this point in their collective lives and their integrity was simple and steadfast. this doc asks questions we all need to ask yet there are no clear answers except the best thing to do always is to be honest and forgiving towards others as much as towards ourselves.
BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* is a funny yet emotional documentary about performance enhancing drugs that unflinchingly explores our win-at-all-costs cult...[ read more ]ure.
In America, we define ourselves in the superlative: we are the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. We reward speed, size and above all else: winning ? at sport, at business and at war. Metaphorically we are a nation on steroids. Is it any wonder that so many of our heroes are on performance enhancing drugs?
From the producers of Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11 comes a new film that unflinchingly explores our win-at-all-cost culture through the lens of a personal journey. Blending comedy and pathos, BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* is a collision of pop culture, animated sequences and first-person narrative, with a diverse cast including US Congressmen, professional athletes, medical experts and everyday gym rats.
At its heart, this is the story of director Christopher Bell and his two brothers, who grew up idolizing muscular giants like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and who went on to become members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream. When you discover that your heroes have all broken the r
This movie is a super timely indictment on the steroid use that has become rampant in America. What makes an American hero? What makes a hero get to his/her position? Must you be strong? Can you be that way without abusing or cheating? And if everyone is cheating to get there, is it really cheating at all?
These are some of the questions posed and answered in this movie. I found it to be very a insightful and in-depth commentary on something we've all heard sound-bites of on the news. It's really an important film to see--no matter if you're an athlete or a politician or anybody at all with dreams of a better life. What will you do to get there and how will you deal with the consequences of your decisions and actions?
What I like about this film is that, on the surface, it's a movie about steroid use; but it quickly unveils the deeper metaphor that the urge to succeed will cause people to do almost anything in any aspect of life to get to the summit.
The documentary is also very good at showing both sides of the story: those who are against "enhancement" and those who are in favor of it. Since the director himself is caught in the middle of both worlds, it's only appropriate and fair that he tell both sides of the story.
The film itself is very entertaining. It plays out with a Michael Moore-esque affinity for humor, sarcasm and exposing the truth then slinging it in the faces of those caught backtracking in a lie or a ridiculous comment--rendering them speechless.
If you like documentaries that are entertaining and have an important message, definitely check this one out.
MCT:August 26, 2008
MCT:August 22, 2008
MCT:July 4, 2008
MCT:June 28, 2008
MCT:June 17, 2008
MCT:June 14, 2008
