Movie Recommendation

With the Summer Olympics fast approaching, the indie movie "Bigger, Faster, Stronger" is a timely reminder that all is not what it seems in sports. Last week, Bulgaria withdrew its entire weightlifting team from the Summer Games because 11 of the Bulgarian athletes tested positive for banned drugs. Today, 2006 Tour de France winner, Floyd Landis, lost his appeal from a 2 year ban from professional cycling because of a positive test for synthetic testosterone during the 2006 race. His first place finish in the race was also stripped as a result. Baseball has been rocked with public allegations and Congressional hearings on certain players' use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.

"Bigger, Faster, Stronger" is provocative and balanced in its presentation of the use of steroids by professional athletes, Olympians, elite amateurs and even classical musicians. The movie is directed by a first time filmmaker, Christopher Bell, who previously worked in the Venice Beach Gold's Gym, mecca to power lifters and body-builders. Bell's film won best documentary at this year's Sundance Festival, a remarkable feat.

If you have any interest in the subject matter, I highly recommend seeing this film. I enjoyed it tremendously and found the movie entertaining and thought provoking on many levels. It is a profound and substantial first work. I thought the interview with Congressman Waxman was truly frightening. Watch the movie and see if you agree. For locals, it's playing at Opera Plaza/Van Ness.

I'm sure there will be more interesting works from new-comer, Christopher Bell.
Keep your eye out for him in the future.

In health,

Laura