Techtite's DVD Reviews!

Antitrust

A Techtite Review

The Film : Films about computers have had an uphill battle lately. It's not like the 1980's, when Matthew "Wargames" Broderick could tap into a top-security  computer by sheer accident, and not have audiences ask How. These days, people need everything explained to them as if they're 12 years old. I always enjoy it when a film forgoes this modern rule of thumb, and just has fun with a fantasy-laced concept, without feeling the need to explain itself. What computer programs, dare one ask, are worth killing for? Don't ask, and just enjoy Antitrust, as the fantasy-laced thriller that it is.

The story involves Milo Hoffman (Ryan Phillippe), who is part of the typical, garage-based group of computer hackers, that often become big name companies like Microsoft and Apple Computers. Suddenly, Milo gets a call from Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), a Bill Gates wannabe in charge of a telecommunications monopoly called NURV ("Never Underestimate Radical Vision"). With the agreement of girlfriend Alice (Claire Forlani), Milo decides to break from the group and join "the enemy." Was this a bad choice? In a thriller, you better believe it. 

The resulting story plays sort of like a version of The Firm, when Milo finds out he's in over his head, within a very crooked company. This comes to a boil when Milo, whose best friend was killed in a "racial attack," appears to have been murdered by Winston's henchmen, just to steal his software ideas. Why would they do this, when the boy was about to make his program "freeware" anyway? Again, don't ask; just have fun with the fantasy thriller that unfolds.

One intriguing part of the film is the way it keeps you intrigued at the typical, X-Files conspiracy motto, "Trust no one." People Milo trusted have secret pasts, yet may be good, or may not be, or perhaps even help him against people he thought he could trust, yet turn on him anyway. By the end, this whole conspiracy roller coaster may seem a bit overdrawn, yet it was still amusing enough for me to watch all the way through, without getting the least bit bored.

I think the amusing parts of this film are the places where it keeps true to its "computer geek" roots. After all, what better way to attempt to kill off poor Milo, than to realize that he has a fatal food allergy to sesame seeds, and try to put seeds in his food? This leads to an intriguing what-would-you-do type dinner, when he must perform a self-imposed allergy test upon himself with a fork, and a sample of the food (a scene that may seem contrived, if you never had an actual allergy test, though yes, sticking small samples of allergic samples just under the skin is how such a test is done). This may seem campy though that's the whole point; the whole film gets its strength as a campy thriller, as long as you don't take it seriously.

There aren't too many big performances here, though again that's to be expected. Tim Robbins in particular plays his part with the same is-he-or-isn't-he type of bad guy role he played so disappointingly in Arlington Road. Rachael Leigh Cook is rather wasted in the role of NURV-employee Lisa, whose role in the film seems to have been reduced for no justifiable reason. Claire Forlani and Ryan Phillippe are hardly as believable among their turmoil a la The Firm's Tom Cruise and Jeane Triplehorn, though few acting duos could pull that off anyway.

Sure, this film's concepts are a bit "out there," though the controversies it brings up about "open source" programs have some level of merit. I remember when I was an undergraduate in college, saying that Virus detection software should be made free for one and all; why make profit by protecting people from a software crime? The response I got was unanimous; I wouldn't feel that way if I made the program myself. Perhaps that is true, though it's laughable to think anyone would want to profit from a program so badly, they'd start killing competition off one by one. On the other hand, it does lead to an acceptable thriller.

The DVD : Well, for a film of such small stature, it certainly delivers some intriguing amounts of extras on the DVD. Commentary track duty is performed by the director (Peter Hewitt) and editor (Zach Staenberg). A music video from the film's soundtrack is also included ("When it All Goes Wrong" by Everclear). Deleted scenes include an alternate opening and finale, which was supposed to show the quick rise --and later, fall-- of the NURV company. However, you can see why this alternate intro and finale was dropped, since the actual last scene (you'll know it when you see it) was more appealing.

As for other deleted scenes, they were mostly scenes cut from the role played by poor Rachael Leigh Cook. Milo, you see, was supposed to have a small affair with her character, including a hotel room scene where they discuss Milo's suspicions about NURV...while in bed. To anyone asking; no, nothing's shown, though Rachael is shown briefly in a bra, if you feel that qualifies as a deleted scene worth seeing. Personally, I expected something more...as in, more of the story.

Other additions include the typical behind the scenes features and so forth, though suffice to say, nothing is any different from the film itself; a marginal (very marginal) thumbs-up, through and through. IF you felt the film was worth a rental or purchase, there is more than enough reason to cough up the dough for the DVD version, with enough extras to warrant paying that extra amount to see them. However, suffice to say this isn't the best film offered so far in 2001. On the bright side, it certainly isn't the worst, either.

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