THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR
(Columbia)
Starring: Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dennis Haysbert,
Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Screenplay: Josef Rusnak and Ravel Centeno-Rodriguez, based on the novel
_Simulacron 3_ by Daniel Galouye.
Producers: Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich and Marco Weber.
Director: Josef Rusnak.
MPAA Rating: R (violence, profanity, adult themes)
Running Time: 99 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
It would be easier -- and kinder -- to think of THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR
as a simple case of bad timing. After all, this is the fourth film in
three months in which characters begin to doubt the nature of their
reality, following THE MATRIX, eXistenZ and OPEN YOUR EYES. That much
head-tripping could be wearying under the best of circumstances, and THE
THIRTEENTH FLOOR is far from the best of circumstances. This is genre
film-making at its most superficially plot-driven, compounding its shallow
characterizations with a ridiculous degree of self-importance.
The story opens with the murder of Hannon Fuller (Armin
Mueller-Stahl), a software engineer who has created a fully functional
simulated computer world modeled after 1937 Los Angeles, complete with
digital characters possessing a sense of self. One prime suspect is
Fuller's partner Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko), who stands to profit most
from Fuller's death and can't remember where he was at the time of the
murder...or how bloody clothing ended up in his laundry. When he learns
that Fuller left a message for him inside the simulation, Hall "jacks in"
to the life of one of the simulation characters, and discovers that
another one of the characters (Vincent D'Onfrio) has learned that his
world isn't real. As Hall continues to investigate, he begins to suspect
that there is more to his own reality than meets the eye.
There's nothing remarkably innovative about the film's premise at
this point, but director/co-writer Josef Rusnak can't be faulted for
bringing up the rear of the virtual reality parade. He can certainly be
faulted, however, for the way he approached that premise. THE THIRTEENTH
FLOOR apparently wants Hall's existential crisis to matter, yet the film
never gives us enough background to understand Hall, his friendship with
Fuller, or any of his anxieties. It often appears that key scenes of
character development have been edited out and replaced by expository
dialogue, leaving little but essential plot-advancing events and Craig
Bierko's dead-eyed performance. That makes it virtually impossible for
the story to develop any depth, or for Hall's romance with a mysterious
woman (Gretchen Mol) to be anything but functional. When the film's real
"villain" shows up for the first time with about 15 minutes left, it's
obvious that Rusnak's primary goal is moving the story, character
development be hanged.
A science-fiction thriller can work, of course, without much profound
commentary on the human condition; heaven knows THE MATRIX wasn't out to
score philosophical brownie points. THE MATRIX also didn't make the
mistake of pretending to be anything more than it was, treating its
subject matter with a playful, giddy energy. THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR is one
of those bleak, somber exercises in which the gloom is meant to suggest
significance but instead makes it even more impossible to enjoy the story.
On only one occasion, involving the confusion of Fuller's simulation
counterpart, does THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR aspire to some kind of
understanding. Most of the time it's a plodding bore, grinding through
the plot as though its themes were medicinally good for you instead of the
stuff of paperback novels.
I suppose it's praiseworthy that THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR does work at
providing clues for its plot twists instead of dropping them in your lap.
Mueller-Stahl and D'Onofrio are solid in their dual roles, almost making
up for the blank attractiveness of Mol and Bierko. The film certainly
achieves the atmosphere it's aiming for; unfortunately, that atmosphere
provides neither entertainment nor insight. Even if you're prepared to
overlook the inevitable head-scratching convolutions of plot, you're not
likely to care about where they're taking you. I can imagine an alternate
reality in which film-makers have figured out there's nothing more to say
about alternate realities, at least for the time being. It must be a
better place than this.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 floor burns: 3.
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Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: The Matrix-lite. That's pretty much what this movie is. It has a somewhat similar story to the Matrix which came out a few months before, but isn't quite as compelling. Scientists who are developing a computer program which is an entire virtual world soon discover that their own world might be just a simulation. Actually it reminded me a lot of a Star Trek: TNG show called "Ship In The Bottle" in which the characters realize that they are in a holodeck program being controlled by someone else. In this movie, the scientists jack into the program and become other people. They realize that someone else is jacking into their world. If the Matrix confused you, you'll probably be just as confused with this movie, because you can't keep up which character is inside the other. There aren't any big name stars here, and the acting isn't the best, but it's not too bad. The problem with the characters is that you don't really feel for them or connect with them in any way. It does sport some pretty decent special effects though. However, the film does tend to lose your interest at parts, including the somewhat rocky start of the film. I'm glad I didn't see it in the theaters, but it is worth renting or waiting for it to arrive on cable. That is, if you like these type of what's real and what's not movies, but The Matrix is the much better film by far.
I give The Thirteenth Floor 
(out of 5).
Review written November 25, 1999
