Antitrust

Plot synopsis:
Working with his three friends at their new software development company Skullbocks, Stanford graduate Milo Hoffman is contacted by CEO Gary Winston of NURV (Never Underestimate Radical Vision) for a very attractive programming position: a fat paycheck, an almost-unrestrained working environment, and extensive creative control over his work. Accepting Winston's offer, Hoffman and his girlfriend, Alice Poulson, move to NURV headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
Despite development of the flagship product (Synapse, a worldwide media distribution network) being well on schedule, Hoffman soon becomes suspicious of the excellent source code Winston personally provides to him, seemingly when needed most, while refusing to divulge the code's origin.
After his best friend, Teddy Chin, is murdered, Hoffman discovers that NURV is stealing the code they need from programmers around the world—including Chin—and then killing them to cover their tracks. Hoffman learns that not only does NURV employ an extensive surveillance system to observe and steal code, the company has infiltrated the Justice Department and most of the mainstream media. Even his girlfriend is a plant, an ex-con hired by the company to manipulate him.
While searching through a secret NURV database containing surveillance dossiers on employees, he finds that the company has information of a very personal nature about a friend and co-worker, Lisa Calighan. When he reveals to her that the company has this information, she agrees to help him expose NURV's crimes to the world. Coordinating with Brian Bissel, one of Hoffman's friends from his old startup, they plan to use a local public-access television station to hijack Synapse and broadcast their charges against NURV to the world. However, Calighan turns out to be a double agent, foils Hoffman's plan, and turns him over to Winston.
Hoffman had already confronted Poulson and convinced her to side with him against Winston and NURV. When it became clear that Hoffman had not succeeded, a backup plan is put into motion by Poulson, the fourth member of Skullbocks, and the incorruptible internal security firm hired by NURV. As Winston prepares to kill Hoffman, the second team successfully usurps one of NURV's own work centers—"Building 21"—and transmits the incriminating evidence as well as the Synapse code. Calighan, Winston and his entourage are publicly arrested for their crimes. After parting ways with the redeemed Poulson, Hoffman rejoins Skullbocks.

Tags: violence, murder

Review:
2) It was probably "The Net 2." It looked like another computer-based movie that would be as realistic as "Hackers," but with a more obvious plot.
(This is not an anti-corporate movie, it is anti- a ~particular~ corporation, and if you can't guess which one, maybe you should go back to exploring the Kalahari or whatever you've been doing for the last ten years.) This corporation has been known to spend extraordinary resources on PR (including, for example, bribing journalists and college professors), so almost certainly some of the comments on this message board will be produced by that corporation and should be read in that light.Second, while murder is a bit over the top, pretty well all the other crimes committed by the large corporation in this movie are things of which the real corporation has been seriously accused, been found to be planning, or in some cases, convicted; yet in every case managing to escape with fines or compensation payments much smaller than the profits they made from the crime.
It's also obvious why the motif of murder was added: some of the technical details of why their actions are pure evil are difficult for a non-techie to understand, so to make the movie accessible to a wider audience, they added a more blatant crime (plus pyrotechnic special effects, a tense chase scene, love interest, etc).Thirdly, it is not a futuristic movie, it is present day; nothing in this movie is more than about 1 or 2 years in the future, at most, and most of it is happening now or happened several years ago.Fourthly, technical realism: while some of the tech stuff is rubbish (hey, it's a movie!), the effort put into realism is dramatically good compared to information technology in any other movie I have ever seen.
Not only that, the product is frighteningly similar to the large corporation's actual current development path!So, if you walked away from this movie thinking "just for geeks" or "totally unrealistic", you need to give yourself a good hard slap, wake up and see what is really going on in the world around you.
This movie was about as unrealistic and irrelevant as "All the President's Men".Oh, by the way, I better say that all the above comments are only my personal opinions, in case they try to sue me, because they do do stuff like that..
I became acquainted with Tim Robbins through 5 copies of" Top Gun." I will not give away the plot or read the last page of the book, but for those of you who like "Arlington Road" ,"Antitrust" may be a good sequel.
The soundtrack is rather excellent as well.By my guess, huge changes were made to this film (based on the trailer) and I look forward to seeing an alternate version or cut-scenes on the DVD.I definitely recommend this movie for anyone who likes technology and computers.
At the end, I still don't know so I can't relate to the movie: I see people working, thinking but I don't understand anything.On the other hand, the thriller is well done with the character becoming more and more paranoiac.Thus, I help this movie with a little "4" vote instead of an awful "1" just because of the turn of events and the good cast (even thought a decade later, no one has made a big name!)..
i think a lot of people who rated this movie negatively due to the fact that it's "not realistic" or "true to life" probably do not have a lot of experience with writing novels or screenplays.first off, let us all accept the fact that most screenwriters, as much as they may love their craft, probably want to make money off their work.
this isn't easy to do if the public doesn't understand what the hell they're talking about.it's not always best for a movie (or a novel, for that matter) to be 100% accurate, because even if everything about the topic completely fascinates you (and generally the author as well, else they wouldn't be writing a story about it), chances are, it's going to bore nearly everyone else--even some of the people who are interested in and are as knowledgeable about the exact same topic.
well, we know they do--but we don't need to watch 8 to 12 hours of them actually doing it.the only thing that really disappointed me about the movie was the fact that it didn't really explain the motivation for some of the characters' actions.
Antitrust is about young programer Milo (Ryan Phillipe) who gets an offer from the computer leading firm NURV, whose CEO Gary Winston (Tim Robbins) needs him for finishing a big project until deadline.
A very well written story with a lot of references to the real world and a big Redmond based software company, with good leading roles, nice and surprising twists, and some action.
The story of a young computer geek named Milo (Ryan Phillipe) who is torn between working with his best friend or making it big, way big.
At Nurv he meets alot of people who are just like him, geeks, and one of them are good looking Lisa (Rachael Leigh Cook).
A very wellwritten story about doing the right thing, but also about that things are worth a second look.Tim Robbins' acting is, as always, very good.
Although eventually she complied with the new FCC regulations when they tried to limit her to an assigned frequency at first she told Hoover to keep those 'minions of Satan' away from her as she was doing the Lord's work.Now how the FCC or anyone else was going to control Tim Robbins as Gary Winston or anyone else when SYNAPSE got going was going to be a real chore.
That's not sitting well with Ryan Phillippe a brilliant computer programmer in his own right who works for Robbins, but is a good friend of the murdered man.As in the political film Bob Roberts, Robbins creates a really frightening character who will do anything to stay on top.
Think what it might mean if something like that was possessed by Al-Jazeera or Pat Robertson?Antitrust is a thought provoking film and if it teaches you nothing else, be kind to the computer geeks you meet.
I wonder if the writers were aware of how bad the script was; looking back, Gary Winston's line, "Show some creativity!" (spoken to the company's lawyers), strikes me as ironically appropriate if applied to the movie as a whole.
The plot seems a crude and obvious attempt to dramatize the battle between closed-source and open-source software, plainly ripping off the Microsoft antitrust case and adding a conspiratorial element that is highly derivative of Grisham's "The Firm." Creativity is not the only thing the movie is missing -- it also lacks plot coherence, convincing acting, realism of the computer and security systems, non-distracting camera effects...
DING-DONG, "Plot twist's here!"The characters are bad sketches of good characters from other movies...
other movies you'd be better off seeing!Ryan Phillipe, the protagonist, plods along through this film showing nary an emotion, even though "the plot" gives him every reason to be busting heads like a 6th grader smashing pumpkins on Halloween.
Phillipe's character (Milo for those scoring at home) can waltz into a computer lab and download the entire company's personnel files, but I can't get my e-mail without entering seven different access codes?Do yourself a favor, save the money you would have spent on this movie and use it to invest in Microsoft.
Most of the young actors seemed to have no acting talent at all.Rachel Leigh Cook was nice to look at but still couldn't save the movie.
I have seen this movie on the Showtime schedule for the last several months and I finally broke down and watched it - unfortunately.Antitrust is the derivative story of a young computer genius (Phillippe) taken under the wing of a multi-billionaire software company owner (Robbins), who discovers his company is not as scrupulous as he initially thinks.
I think every 'slasher-flick', 'road movie' and all other patronising stereotype film-brands are awful, and an insult to the intelligence of me and a good deal of my friends.
Hollywood is in the industry of entertainment, and if turning out safe films with good-looking actors makes them money, fair enough.
Antitrust is the best thriller of all time.Bter than was The Net.The story begins were Milo Hoffman a computer programmer get's a job in NURV company,brilliant and smart,but his best friend Teddy Chin from college,don't wont to work there,so he's doing research and later somebody kill's him and it's look like it was racist gang who do this,but is not true.Later Milo find's out that Gray Winston director and president of NURV company,is stiling code's of synapse and when you founded,or try to get it,they kill you and they leave that is look like somebody else do it.Milo want's to stopped Gary and get back the synapse and give back to the world,so he get's help from his girlfriend Alice and Lisa,but on the end of the movie he finds out they all fork for Gary and that was all set up,but Gary did not know that he's not alone,on the end he beat's Gary in his own game and he tells the world what he did,later the FBI arrest Gary and all his members.Great movie,great story,great cast, and the best soundtracks.What can i say the best movie ever made.Too bad that the not doing more movie's like was that..
Let the ignoranthordes watch "Matrix" and "Hackers", "AntiTrust" is the movie for us,geeks..
Pretty-Boy Ryan Phillippe is Miscast as a Geek Computer Genius and is Blown Off the Screen anytime He Shares a Scene with Tim Robbins, a Grotesquely Exaggerated "Bill Gates" Type.Forced Melodramatics and a TV Tone, this Film Flopped, not because it didn't Ask some Timely Questions, but because it is just a Bad Movie.
Not an Awful Movie but in Total, Pretty Bad.Nothing seems Believable, everything is Overdone, the Acting is Atrocious (except Robbins), the Writing is Bland and Boring, and most of the Action and Suspense takes place on a Computer Screen or a Keyboard, and a Half-Second after the Movie was Released it was Technologically Dated.Glaring Corporated Product Placement is Hypocritical Hubris and works Against the Anti-Corporate Message, and On and On. Bordering on Silly, Nothing much Resonates in the Heavy Scenario and the Ending is Predictable Fluff.
Also, the entire plot was way too far-fetched to really come off as realistic at any time.People not into IT are not likely to enjoy this film either, since there's too much techno-babble for anyone not familiar with IT to get some insight in what's going on half of the time.
Not a good move, I'd say.Overall the movie does make a decent effort to keep some tension alive, but the far-fetched plot, the silly situation, the more than average amount of techno-babble and the bullc*** code seriously limit the possible target audience for this film..
"Antitrust" is sophomoric hokum about a very Microsoft-like company run by a very Bill Gates-like guy who is going to take over the world...the world of communications, that is....and hires a young genius/geek/programmer who is morbidly allergic to sesame seeds and...blaa, blaa.
So I understand the value of sharing with the world, yet I think the Open Source enthusiasts are too extreme.Many of the comments compare the bad guy in this movie to Bill Gates.
I have to volunteer that I am so fed up with all these "critics" here giving low ratings and/or putting down brilliant movies like this.People who actually do program, might have noticed that Gary and Milo look at new stolen code.
Apparently, most of its target audience went to see "Save the Last Dance" and all the Oscar Contenders out there, not counting the other competition from the other new releases over this Holiday weekend in the USA......This is decidedly a smarter, hipper, slicker movie than the one ANTITRUST star Ryan Philippe opened this same weekend last year - VARSITY BLUES, which broke Box Office Records.
Give it a chance if you like a good thriller dealing with timely issues, in an expensive, slick production, full of Hollywood stars, good actors and an interesting plot..
But the title (while clever if you know the film) makes it sound like some tricky art movie.
I expected a lot more from this movie, especially with a highly respected actor (Tim Robbins) starring as one of the main characters (Gary Winston).The "geeky" stuff, like the hacking of the satellites, (typing in an IP address wont give you access to a computer) the code in the intro (HTML code, come on, thats not going to impress the geeks) and a lot of other small things simply dont work, and i hate to say, but i saw the conspiracy coming from a mile away...Its not all that bad though, i enjoyed the funny references to microsoft and.NET, but i doubt it will still be enjoyable in, say 2 years..
Without giving away too much, I'm sure you can guess that the large company becomes more evil as it goes on to the point of killing and stealing for their cause and Ryan Phillippe's character plays the lone wolf good guy who's everything is taken away from him including his friends and his live-in girlfriend(who ends up working for the other side as well).
An entertaining high-tech cyber-thriller, Antitrust stars Ryan Philippe as Milo Hoffman, a computer prodigy headhunted by evil Bill Gates-alike Gary Winston Tim Robbins); with his revolutionary communication system, Synapse, behind schedule, Winston needs all the help he can get, but when Milo discovers that his new boss is even resorting to murder in order to get his project up and running, he sets out to upset the apple-cart.Whilst this movie might seem preposterous to some, I do believe that there is a lot of truth hidden amongst the hokum of Antitrust's script.
If you bear this in mind when watching Antistrust, it makes the whole affair more chilling.Ryan Philippe is pretty good as the genius who goes up against the mighty corporation and he is ably supported by hotties Claire Forlani (as his girlfriend) and Rachael Leigh Cook (as a fellow nerd).
Rockefeller biographer and he said the only difference between JDR and Gates was that JDR had thugs working for him who beat people up and this movie just goes that extra step.I actually have a friend of a friend who was recruited to Microsoft like the Ryan Phillippe character -- and he was a college drop-out in Israel.
Cook is pretty but, as normal, she isn't that good an actress and I didn't like any of her scenes  but she is pretty representative of the younger members of the cast.Overall this is an average thriller and it is far from being the interesting Microsoft swipe that it suggested it would be.
ANTITRUST Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)Sound formats: DTS / SDDSBrit director (and former sitcom actor) Peter Howitt pits adolescent cybergeeks against corporate bulldogs in this OK thriller, in which computer programmer Ryan Phillippe (the best-looking 'nerd' on the planet) is recruited by industry giant Tim Robbins (stealing the show in a thinly disguised impersonation of Bill Gates) to help with the design of a revolutionary software process that will transform the global communications network.
Don't get me wrong; I LIKED AntiTrust very much, Ryan Phillipe and Claire Forlani are both decent actors, but this film is far from a classic.
After watching the adverts and seeing it starred Tim Robbins and Rachel Leigh Cook, I was overjoyed to see this film being showed on the Aeroplane on my way back from Florida.
Its one of those "I think this will be a bad movie but turns out good"Snoogans.
The film may think that it is being clever and on the pulse because of the theme and plot of the movie but to be perfectly honest, the story line is hardly cutting edge.
Tim Robbins plays a brilliant caricature of Bill Gates in this geek-heaven film about a software company on the verge of a breakthrough.
Nonsense it does.Despite the fact that the starting credits were written in bad HTML that wouldn't validate on HTMLHelp.Com, I suppose the point is that you should suspend belief and enjoy the tale of the Open Source fans taking on the giant corporation and its power hungry chief.Of course the predictable stuff all happens, but this is one for a certain market -- the geek who'll spend hours buying DVDs of it, downloading it on the Internet etc; and being the only film of this type it will succeed accordingly..
Paranoia and state interference has been an intriguing topic for books and films long before George Orwell wrote 1984, so with a new millennium upon us, this year's conspiracy theory movie is Antitrust.Ryan Phillippe stars as Milo, a talented computer programmer who is recruited by computer billionaire Gary Winston to work on his company's latest media software.
I watched this movie thinking that it was going to be another hack job by the young actors of Hollywood.
Overall a good movie to watch and I don't think I would have been upset at spending 7 bucks to see the thing in the theatres.
AntiTrust is a slick, watchable thriller that pits a young, idealistic computer geek (Ryan Phillippe) against a Bill Gates-like billionaire (Tim Robbins) who wants to rule the information world by devising a system that will link all sources of communications through his satellites.
If you haven't seen The Firm, you may like this film; but if you have, don't watch AntiTrust, that is unless you actively enjoy annoying yourself..
Milo Hoffman (Ryan Phillippe) and Teddy Chin (Yee Jee Tso) have been offered jobs at NURV, a Microsoft type company run by Gary Winston (Tim Robbins).
Ryan Phillipe had his time in the sun with films like I know what you did last summer and cruel intentions.