• Rating:
• Genre: Thriller
• Movie Type: Paranoid Thriller
• Themes: Computer Paranoia, Race Against Time, Technology Run Amok
• Director: Peter Howitt
• Main Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Claire Forlani, Tim Robbins, Douglas McFerran
• Release Year: 2001
• Country: US
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG13

Plot

Just how far should one man go to stay ahead of his competition? Milo Hoffmann (Ryan Phillippe) is a young and gifted computer software designer who with his close friend Teddy is about to launch a high-tech start-up firm based on Milo's inventive ideas in convergence, in which he's helping to create new ways for different forms of digital technology to work in harmony. However, before Milo and Teddy can get their company off the ground, Milo receives a very tempting offer from Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), a trailblazing genius in the digital world who has turned his company N.U.R.V. (which stands for "Never Underestimate Radical Vision") into one of the richest and most powerful computer firms on Earth. While Milo is sympathetic to Teddy's beliefs that computer technology should belong to the people and that open source software is the most promising future lies, Winston has long been Milo's role model in design and research, and Milo feels Winston's offer is too good to pass up. Milo and his girlfriend Alice Poulson (Claire Forlani) move out to Silicon Valley, and at first Milo thrives on the challenges of his new position, and develops a close working relationship with fellow designer Lisa Calighan (Rachael Leigh Cook). But Milo underestimates the ruthlessness of the leading-edge software industry, and he soon learns there's a sinister undercurrent to Winston's drive to stay on top. Antitrust earned rising star Ryan Phillippe his first million-dollar paycheck after well-regarded roles in 54 and Cruel Intentions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Review

Being fashionable at the turn of the century to make geeky, stereotypical movies about hacking and the computer world, Antitrust became yet another in the genre. What this movie makes up for in computer believability (for those who know, they use Unix/Linux with GNOME and coding in C++ throughout) it gives right back through silly antics and goofy situations that spoil what otherwise could have been a pretty decent thriller. Director Peter Howitt (Sliding Doors) has chosen quite a different kind of movie for his second major feature release, but if there is one major flaw it's more in the writing than in the directing. The stereotypes of the computer industry are so thick that they're almost offensive; from the evil billionaire software giant trying to "connect every communication device on the planet" played by Tim Robbins to the geeky "do the right thing" programming genius acted by Ryan Phillippe, it's all there. The other unnerving thing is that protagonist Phillippe doesn't really fit as a computer hacker -- he's too cute and sometimes just doesn't seem like he knows what his dialogue actually means. For those who can get past the credibility issues, what's left is a somewhat entertaining and suspenseful thriller with some strange twists and some beautiful scenery (shot in Vancouver, BC, Canada). ~ Brad Mills, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Ryan Phillippe - Milo
• Rachael Leigh Cook - Lisa
• Claire Forlani - Alice
• Tim Robbins - Gary Winston
• Douglas McFerran - Bob Shrot

Richard Roundtree - Lyle Barton; Tygh Runyan - Larry Banks; Yee Jee Tso - Teddy Chin; Nate Dushku - Brian Bissel; Ned Bellamy - Phil Grimes; Tyler Labine - Redmond; Scott Bellis - Randy; David Lovgren - Danny

Credit

Ashok Amritraj - Executive Producer; John Bailey - Cinematographer; Julia Chasman - Executive Producer; C.O. Erickson - Executive Producer; Howard Franklin - Screenwriter; Catherine Hardwicke - Production Designer; Maya Mani - Costume Designer; Rose Marie McSherry - Set Designer; Rose Marie McSherry - Set Decorator; David Nicksay - Producer; Zach Staenberg - Editor; Nick Wechsler - Producer; Don Davis - Composer (Music Score); Larry Sutton - Sound/Sound Designer; Cathy Sandrich - Casting; Keith Addis - Producer; Amanda Mackey-Johnson - Casting; Doug Byggdin - Art Director; David Hoberman - Executive Producer; Jack Hardy - First Assistant Director; Peter Howitt - Director

Similar Movies

Electric Dreams; The Firm; The Manhattan Project; Sneakers; The Star Chamber; WarGames; The Net; Hackers; The Game; The Skulls; Swordfish; The Skulls II; Abandon; The Code Conspiracy; Wicker Park; Terminal Error; Firewall; Disturbia

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