(Sure - a computer nerd has a girlfriend that hot. And I‘m Antonio Banderas….)
CAST: Ryan Philippe, Rachel Leigh Cook, Claire Forlani, Tim Robbins, Yee Jee Tso, Richard Roundtree.
DIRECTOR: Peter Howitt
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one rather thinly disguised version of a famous software mogul straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: Sorta-cute computer programmer Milo Hoffman (Ryan Philippe) is recruited by software tycoon Gary Winston (Tim Robbins) to work at his, ahem, Portland campus called NURV (I don‘t know what the hell it means, either… all I know is it ain‘t Microsoft). Milo, despite pledging to his best pal Teddy (Jee Yee Tso) that they‘ll never sell out to Big Business, basically goes down on Gary by way of accepting his offer. Before you know it, Milo is living the big life in… Portland. Unfortunately, when Teddy winds up dead and his code turns up in NURV’s labs, Milo begins to suspect the worst about his new boss. Add to that the fact that the Justice Department is investigating Gary for antitrust violations, and they want to use Milo as an informant. All in all, not the dream job Milo had hoped for.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Despite being an ultra-geek, Milo obviously think he’s a secret agent and does all sorts of daring derring-do. Or, as one baddie correctly chastises him later on: “What’s with the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 bullshit, Milo? You’re a GEEK!!!” Ha ha. Nerd got owned.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Tie between Rachel Leigh Cook and Claire Forlani as Milo’s leading ladies. Cook plays Lisa, a mysterious programmer who may or may not be his best ally in helping topple Gary’s evil empire. Forlani plays Alice, Milo’s mysterious girlfriend who may or may not be conspiring in league with Gary. So what if neither of them are trustworthy - they’re both nuclear-hot.
MOST INTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: The aforementioned baddie reminding Milo that he is, well, definitely not Tom Cruise.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Milo administering a sesame seed allergy test to determine if Alice is trying to kill him or not. Seriously. If I’m making this up may lightning strike my fine Eurasian ass.
HOTTEST SCENE: The scene where Alice sticks her finger in some Chinese food - then makes Milo suck it. HELL. YES! Way to combine two of my favorite things in the world. Food and, well, sucking…
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: What is Gary’s ultimate goal? Is he operating some sort of dastardly operation on the NURV campus? Will Milo risk everything to find out? Or will he get caught by Gary’s security team? Who can Milo count on to help him? Lisa? Alice? Teddy’s ghost? Or is he pretty much going to have to continue to act like James Bond with a pocket protector?
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “ANTITRUST”: If you don’t mind glossy but predictable thrillers with attractive stars who don’t have to stretch the acting muscle too much. And if you dislike a certain real-life software billionaire from the Northwest. Ahem.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “ANTITRUST”: If you want your thrillers to be more than just predictable fare with competent if not commanding acting. And if you are loyal to a certain real-life software billionaire from the Northwest.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Basically coming across as Generation X version of THE FIRM, ANTITRUST is a competent thriller that hits all the expected beats. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really do much beyond that. It’s clear that Microsoft and Bill Gates must have, at least in part, inspired the character of Gary Winston and NURV. Of course, I seriously doubt Mr. Gates is as murderous as the way Winston is presented here. Tim Robbins is okay as Winston, and portrays the man as someone who never really grew up, but instead just regressed in certain ways.
As for the rest of the cast, they’re all okay but, as I mentioned before, not much more than that with the exception of one: Claire Forlani as Milo‘s mysterious girlfriend Alice. Ms. Forlani takes what could’ve been a creaky cliché (the enigmatic dark-haired beauty who may nor may not be the enemy) and turns it into something compelling. Forlani has a nice way of drawing you into her emotions with her eyes - without saying a word. It’s her best quality as an actress, and its on display every time she’s onscreen. Unfortunately, Alice isn’t used as much as she should’ve been. But when she is used, she’s dynamite.
Ryan Philippe is decent but a little bland as Milo, while Rachel Leigh Cook has nice tentative fragility as Lisa, the programmer who becomes Milo’s ally in uncovering Winston’s scheme. Like Philippe, Cook is okay - but she’s not as compelling as Forlani. All in all, the cast of ANTITRUST do what the script requires them to do. It’s just unfortunate that the script is a rote, predictable affair.
