Antitrust

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tim Robbins, Claire Forlani, Richard Roundtree, Ned Bellamy
Directed by: Peter Howitt
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A computer programmer (Ryan Phillippe) begins to suspect his genius boss (Tim Robbins) of illegal activity to protect his company.

Review:

Tim: Antitrust is a surprisingly nerveracking thriller that combines elements of criminal activity, corporate espionage, murder, and more. The film is pretty entertaining. Despite Antitrust's more thrilling moments, the movie ultimately fails on a few levels. It does effectively create a very paranoid, intense atmosphere. The movie as a whole, though, is only decent.

While the film hasn't aged well (the technology seems quaint, even 10 years later), it's still a fascinating look at the dotcom boom and the lengths people will go to in order to create their vision. I love the idea of a ruthless tech company (sort of a combination of both Microsoft and Apple) and what it does to stay on top. That topic is relevant and interesting in today's world. The film succeeds most when it brings us behind-the-scenes of that tech company. It's fascinating to see what young, brilliant intellectuals do in a company that has aspirations to change the world. I loved that aspect of the film.

The movie suffers because of the lengths it goes to in order to create a tense, nerveracking film. There are some very intense moments in the film, but too much believability was traded to create these moments. The whole idea of the Day Care Center was so outlandish and seemed so silly, it undermined the intensity of the scenes that take place there. The movie tried to ground most of the events in reality, but continually strayed too far into the realm of the unbelievable.

Ryan Phillippe was a great choice in the lead role. Phillippe has that look of determination and focus that allows him to be believable as a young computer genius. I thought he worked well in the role and made the audience identify with him. We can all sympathize with the conflicts he faces and the betrayal he feels at the hands of an idol. He was very good. Tim Robbins was pretty fantastic as a tech titan, very much a combination of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Robbins was extremely charismatic and enjoyable in the role. He personified genius, but also a cruel determination to model the world in the image of his own vision, at all costs. He was very good.

Claire Forlani and Rachael Leigh Cook were both decent, but neither one really impressed me. I thought they did a good enough job, but neither had even one moment that proved they were worthy additions to the cast. I can think of dozens of other actresses who would have been interchangeable in either role. It was fun seeing Richard Roundtree here, but he doesn't get to do much.

This was an enjoyable movie. For most of the film, we get a taut, exciting thriller that also comments on the state of corporations in the early part of the 2000s decade. The movie gives us some interesting characters, several good twists, and a timely, fascinating story. However, the movie goes too far to create suspense and thrills, which undermines the realism and credibility of the film. This is a decent movie, but I thought Antitrust had the pieces to be so much more. This movie is unfortunately, more Zune than iPod.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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