Icarus

Fogel is a little out of his depth, but he has a killer tale to tell.

Given all the attention on Russia in recent news coverage, Fogel’s Putin-centric approach will likely prove more effective than a deeper investigation into just how widespread such behavior is around the globe. But the greater takeaway is that the game itself is rigged, and the Russians only lost because they got caught.

It’s a movie that only begins as a commentary on doping in sports and becomes something greater about the dangers of being a whistleblower, especially when the whistle blows on Russia.

Mr. Fogel could be considered either daring or foolhardy for his initial plan. But his work with Dr. Rodchenkov is levelheaded, and his documentary illuminating.

Though the documentary’s early musings about athletic integrity in general are ultimately usurped by a tale of personal responsibility and nefarious global power, the disruption feels acute and essential.

Fogel’s only other filmmaking credit, the romcom “Jewtopia,” doesn’t suggest the makings of a sophisticated nonfiction storyteller, and Icarus suffers from an imitative quality that’s hard to shake. Fortunately, Rodchenkov’s dilemma single-handedly keeps Icarus engaging throughout.

A routinely assembled mélange of provocative material consistently undone by its maker's perplexing need to foist himself into the center of every conversation.

I had big expectations for this. Was vey interesting, disturbing. One thing i regret is that the creator never fullfiled his initial goal, seeing if doping helps you to get really better, should make a part 2!

A doco that changes tact abrubtly to tell a far more interesting story than what it was intended to. While the film maker at times seems to be out of his depth, the story is compelling enough to keep viewers captivated.

(Mauro Lanari) And Thomas Hicks who in 1904 won the marathon at the St. Louis Olympics with the help of strychnine and brandy provided by his assistants during the race and collapsed after reaching the finish line? And the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature to Gibney's "The Armstrong Lie"? Fogel starts from this last cyclist never quoting his fellow director, and "Icarus" relegates itself within too narrow historical-chronological and spatial-geopolitical boundaries.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

What a bad, bad documentary. Lot's of flaws, but 3 of the biggest: 1. A documentary meant to "shed light on an issue" of which most people are already aware, and which has been covered to death by the media, isn't very compelling. 2. The documentarian, if he isn't rock dumb, certainly comes across that way. He features himself in a lot of the film, but adds next to nothing. 3. Adding dramatic music to scenes with zero drama does not make them dramatic.