Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

ANTITRUST

ANTITRUST (2001). Director: Peter Howitt.

Milo Hoffman (Ryan Phillippe) is drafted by Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), head of the NURV technology company, to work on a major new project called Synapse, which will somehow link all communications networks together. Milo has decided to go with a big company while his other buddies still work in their garage, but it's clear they are on to something nonetheless when one of them, Teddy (Yee Tee Tso), is murdered. Was Teddy getting too close to solving the problems with Synapse-like technology  and beating Winston to the punch? A paranoid Milo sneaks around NURV trying to get incriminating information as he dodges the security force and breaks into buildings -- but will he stay alive long enough to learn anything? Antitrust is a minor but entertaining flick with two good lead performances, as well as good work from a supporting cast that includes Claire Forlani as Milo's girlfriend, Alice, and Rachel Leigh Cook as Lisa, a fellow employee who decides to help him. Fittingly, considering the movie's title, the script plays around with exactly whom Milo can trust and whom he can't, and there are a couple of surprises in that regard. The movie is undeniably suspenseful, occasionally tense, and has a very satisfying wind-up.

Verdict: Is Big Brother watching you? *** out of 4.

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