Video Review: The Thirteenth Floor

Director: Josef Rusnak Writer: Josef Rusnak, based on a novel by Daniel F. Galouye Cast: Craig Bierko, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Vincent D'Onofrio, Gretchen Mol, Dennis Haysbert

Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko) have created an utterly realistic VR simulation of Los Angeles in 1937. Indeed, Fuller has been "jacking in" frequently to visit the ballroom of the Wilshire Grand Hotel as his sim alter ego and share a bed with lovely young women.

But something is wrong. Fuller writes a letter to Hall while he's in the sim and leaves it with ballroom bartender Jerry Ashton (Vincent D'Onofrio), a character modeled after real-life tech Whitney. Only hours later, Fuller lies dead in an alley, and Hall is the prime suspect. Did he slaughter his partner to keep him from shutting down the project? Why did Fuller plan to abandon their six years of work? And who is the mystery woman who claims to be Fuller's never-mentioned daughter?

The opening scenes of this VR mystery produced by the Emmerich siblings, Roland and Uta, are intriguing and visually admirable. Production values are clearly a tribute to the early German Expressionists like Fritz Lang, and the exquisite detailing of 1937 LA is a delight. Unfortunately, once the premise has been established, the plot quickly stretches much too thin. The result? Frequent injections of contrivance and suspense that eventually degenerates into melodrama.

For instance, Jerry Ashton steams open the letter entrusted to him, but there is never any explanation given as to why a hotel employee would so risk being fired. The only purpose for this, it appears, is to allow D'Onofrio the opportunity to step outside the laid-back Whitney character and chew massive amounts of scenery. Well, that and setting up the premise for the final plot resolution, which could have just as easily been done with one line of dialogue.

Without having read Daniel Galouye's novel Simulacron 3 on which the movie was based, I can't say how faithful the script is to the original. My sense was that there were lots of things missing, and that what was left wasn't sturdy enough to carry on for the length of the film. There are no truly admirable characters, either. Hannon Fuller causes his electronic alter ego to commit adultery so he can get girls. "Jane Hannon" (Gretchen Mol) conspires with the investigating detective (Dennis Haysbert) to kill off her husband so she can live happily ever after with Hall. As for him, it apparently doesn't matter that he gets the girl by means of betrayal and murder.

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