Movie Review: Antitrust (2001)

Genre: Techno Thriller  

Director: Peter Howitt  

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Tim Robbins, Rachael Leigh Cook, Richard Roundtree  

Running Time: 109 minutes  

Synopsis: Gary Winston (Tim Robbins) is the celebrity CEO of dominant tech company Nurv. He recruits talented computer programmer Milo (Ryan Phillippe) to work on a critical project, although Milo's altruistic best friend Teddy refuses to join Nurv, preferring instead to develop open source code. Milo settles down in Portland with his girlfriend Alice (Claire Forlani), and at work he befriends fellow Nurv programmer Lisa (Rachael Leigh Cook). When a murder occurs, Milo is forced to confront the reality of his new employer.

What Works Well: This is a surprisingly effective and prescient condemnation of technology monopolies. Howard Franklin's script takes hard shots at dominant companies subsuming the competition, and director Peter Howitt maximizes the impact of computer screens filled with code, remaining true to programming's general look and feel. Character revelations, multiple plot twists, and brisk pacing add gloss to the techno thrills, and the best moment is Hitchcockian in its simple adherence to old fashioned suspense: sitting down to a meal that may just be deadly.

What Does Not Work As Well: Of course the plot holes are plentiful and visible, including Milo's ability to outsmart a comprehensive campus security system; and to access a critical home office computer system then explain his way out of trouble when caught.

Key Quote:

Gary Winston: This business is binary. You are a one or a zero. Alive or dead. There is no second place.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Love, Guaranteed (2020)

Genre: Romantic Comedy  

Director: Mark Steven Johnson  

Starring: Rachael Leigh Cook, Daman Wayans Jr., Heather Graham  

Running Time: 91 minutes  

Synopsis: In Seattle, lawyer Susan (Rachael Leigh Cook) is running her small boutique firm and struggling to pay the bills. Her chance for a big payday arrives through new client Nick (Damon Wayans Jr.), who wants to sue the on-line dating service Love, Guaranteed for false advertising after close to 1,000 unsuccessful dates. New age tycoon Tamara Taylor (Heather Graham) owns the site and mobilizes her lawyers to defend the case, but complications arise when Susan and Nick start to develop feelings for each other.

What Works Well: Sweet without being overbearing and witty while avoiding cynicism, this pleasant rom-com is the definition of middle-of-the-road entertainment. Rachael Leigh Cook and Damon Wayans Jr. represent unblemished wholesomeness, and the premise is unique enough to be cute but not ridiculous. Heather Graham finds laughs as the shark-like businesswoman hiding behind the nonsense of cereal box mysticism, and the dash of courtroom drama is a welcome addition to the genre. Alvin Sanders as Susan's former client and Nick's friend adds grizzled cuddliness.

What Does Not Work As Well: Susan is the prototypical ditzy working woman too-busy-to-date, and the script does not even bother to provide the wealthy Nick with a career (he volunteers as a physiotherapist). Predictably, this is as comfortably predictable as rom-coms get, including the contrived late-in-the-day complication hurtled into the path of the would-be lovers.

Key Quote:

Susan: If you were going to name tonight like an episode of Friends, what would my title be?

Nick: The one I didn't see coming.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.