Wired to Win is foremost a story. A story of great challenge, great effort, of hard consequences and sweet rewards. This story marries together two seemingly distinct subjects: the Tour de France and the science of the brain. It's a marriage that seems somewhat inorganic, but it works.

The images of the Tour De France are big, sometimes simply grand. At other times, the string of bikes is blurred against the hillsides. Also, probably because of the technical optical problems of framed film and panning objects -- the string of bikes appears to jitter and jog. That's a bit annoying. Still, the close-in shots, especially the one where the camera must be strolling just 5 feet in front of the front line of bikes, this gives the viewer that wonderful feeling of being there. And then of course, there's the tragic newsreel shot (not large format) where Lance Armstrong goes down.

And the computer images of the inside of the brain, the nerve system, and the body -- these are very nicely sculpted and work well on the big screen. The camera is always moving within them. The narration, somewhat artificially, but nonetheless successfully, ties the drama of the race to the drama of the brain in action.

In the end, I think it's the drama which gives the film its biggest punch. I liked it. However, I was left with these questions: "How exactly does a bike team work together?" And "What are the specific criteria for handing out the different colored shirts?"

Free Ross Anthony Signed Book Contest!