THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
If you ever find yourself in a simulated world, don't tell the natives. It can be very upsetting to learn that your flesh and blood is just a stream of bits on someone's computer.
Opening with the "I think, therefore I am" quote of Descartes, Josef Rusnak's THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR serves notice that this is a pretentious movie. Indeed, the script by Josef Rusnak and Ravel Centeno-Rodriguez, based on Daniel F. Galouye's novel "Simulacron 3," does a masterful job of setting up a plot with an intriguing premise. With shades of THE TRUMAN SHOW and THE MATRIX, the movie takes so much risk that it is a shame that about its only memorable parts are the cinematography and the set decoration.
A billion dollar software company lead by Hammond Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl) has just finished creating the ultimate virtual reality system. Fuller's company, housed in a large building, appears to have only 2 employees, a pair of programmers named Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko) and Whitney (Vincent D'Onofrio). All 3 characters have counterparts in the simulated world that their system creates.
The present is a hazy, neon blue world filled with bright laser beams, ominous skyscrapers and dark supercomputers. The simulated past is set in a handsome 1937. Colored in hazy sepia tones, this attractive world features showgirls that dance the night away to big bands. The sets in the past are art deco masterpieces. Between the two, the choice is easy; go for the inviting past.
As the story opens, Fuller is in the past but quickly makes his way back to the present, where he is murdered. A scruffy, black cop, Detective Larry McBain (Dennis Haysbert), dressed in classic film noir garb, tries to investigate this multiple-reality murder. Complicating his investigation is the appearance of a woman named Jane Fuller (Gretchen Mol), who claims to be the daughter of the dead man. Since Hammond Fuller had no known relatives, this confuses everyone.
As the mystery deepens, the story has our two software designers getting on and off the laser light table that transports them between timeframes.
The film's coldly antiseptic present matches all too perfectly the style of the acting. None of the characters has any warmth or genuineness.
The screenplay has so many logical holes and out-of-left-field events that you're liable to end up snickering at it, as our audience did. And suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite. If you're a grownup and have never been out of town, take this as a sign that something may not be quite right in your world.
Still, for all of its flaws, the story possesses a strange fascination, and you're unlikely to be bored. "You can't just plug your brain into this machine and not be affected by it," Jane says. Watching this movie is like that. It becomes more intriguing that it has any right to be, given its limitations.
If you want a good science fiction film, then this frustrating one may not be the one for you. On the other hand, if it's a good-looking science fiction film you're after, then look no further. THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR is exquisite eye-candy for the sci-fi set.
THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR runs 2:00. It is rated R for violence and some profanity and would be fine for teenagers.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com
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