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User Reviews for: Icarus

TheGloriousSOB
CONTAINS SPOILERS6/10  6 years ago
Now that I'm a Netflix subscriber, I can view 3 available films nominated for the 2018 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. This is one of 'em; I also saw "Strong Island" & "Last Men In Aleppo." Not on Netflix are "Faces Places" &, uh, "Abacus." I was already impressed by "Last Men In Aleppo" assuming it'll win or just hoping it'll win (although not caring enough to bet money on it). But there's something unique about "Icarus," something that sounds positive enough for me to think in this film's favor regarding that Oscar. It started out as something traced on the "Super Size Me" template, the difference being Bryan Fogel tries to get fit, not fat. After Fogel biked his race in Europe,[spoiler] I was expecting him to display on the film any effects of "roiding up." That never came about, not even when the film ended or in the epilogue--no footnotes.[/spoiler] "Icarus" had completely focused on Grigory Rodchenkov, the Russian that Fogel recruited to cheat in his bike race. Once Bryan learned that Grigory had connections to a Russian doping agency whose involvement reaches as high as Vladimir Putin, Grigory (& Bryan as well) were both screwed once Russia began investigating & Grigory had to flee to the U.S. What compelled me about "Icarus" was that this film, likely in Fogel's mindset was supposed to be about doping, but he got in gigantic trouble by hiring a Russian to give him the dope, and this film he was making almost got a whole damn nation screwed out of the Rio De Janeiro Olympics. (Incidentally Russia recently did participate in the Pyeongchang Olympics, but the fact they couldn't fly their flag implies they're still doping.) And I was fascinated to see how the film turned out as Fogel & Rodchenkov tried to protect themselves while talking to both a newspaper, the U.S. government, and Olympic officials & representatives about doping in Russia and what Grigory knows. [spoiler]Incidentally, Grigory remains in the U.S. in the witness protection program. I was annoyed there wasn't stuff about what happened to Fogel after he was taking steroids like if he has shorter tempers or smaller privates.[/spoiler] Clearly he's not gonna win a lot of bike races, or even compete. Can he win an Oscar? I think so; it could take those in the Academy who've finished watching the Winter Olympics voting in his favor. Update: "Icarus" won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Congratulations.
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Reply by melkiades96
5 years ago
@theglorioussob totally agree. This was one of the best documentaries that I've seen. I added Strong Island to my watchlist but can't seem to find Last Men in Aleppo on Netflix. Was wondering whether it is region-restricted or has left the platform altogether.
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