the 1990s produced two brilliant science fiction films . one was _gattaca_ . the other was _the thirteenth floor_ . just as _gattaca_ was overshadowed by the mighty _titanic_ , _the thirteenth floor_ was relegated to obscurity by _the matrix_ . however , _the thirteeth floor_ , though it deals with similar themes , is a much better movie than the frenetic , childish and improbable _matrix_ . a cutting edge computer scientist , hannon fuller ( played by the charming armin mueller-stahl ) , is murdered . his associate , douglas hall , ( craig bierko ) apparently framed and suspected by the police , enters into the simulated world they have created in order to unravel the mystery . along the way a beautiful blonde ( gretchen mol ) , more bodies , and a deepening mystery about simulated worlds complicate the picture . _the thirteenth floor_ unfolds slowly and telegraphs its punches , choosing to elicit the more complex emotional response of empathy and anticipation rather than the cheap one of mere surprise . the result is a movie that is a failure from two conventional points of view . first , its plot revelations can be foreseen if one has carefully followed its complex storyline . second and more seriously , it demands that its audience think and feel . no wonder it fell through the cracks . done in film noir style as a murder mystery , this is a relatively deep movie that functions on several levels . many audiences will simply be bewildered by it , rather than engaged , which is a shame , because this movie amply repays a little emotional and intellectual investment . i recommend a second viewing simply to get the flavor of the frequent ironic foreshadowing in the opening parts of the movie . despite its philosophical challenges , _the thirteenth floor_ derives its emotional force from the love story between jane fuller ( mol ) and douglas hall ( bierko ) , as well as the close friendship between douglas hall and hannon fuller . in that sense it is more akin to _gattaca_ than _the matrix_ , which , for all of its cute philosophical byplay , is an adolescent movie with no emotional depth whatsoever . the moment when jane fuller confesses her love for douglas hall is at once satisfying , wrenching and intellectually challenging . in its final moments the film even takes on itself , when david , jane's husband , who has come to enjoy killing , accuses her of being the sick one . although there is a victory for the leading characters , this resolution suggests a disturbing element of fantasy in jane , and thus a deep-seated character flaw . in fact , hannon fuller's activities in the simulated world , the behavior of jane's husband , and the effects of entering the simulation on douglas hall all hint at similar issues with those characters . this is not a film of good people beset from without by great evil . the tragedy is not in their stars , but in themselves . the major actors , all of whom are required to play two or even three roles , perform extremely well . bierko , who will be familiar as the psycho from _the long kiss goodnight_ , is outstanding . d'onofrio as whitney , who plays a pivotal role in support , also turns in a good performance . the lovely gretchen mol , whose elegance , integrity , and determination suggest bergman in _casablanca_ , does a wonderful job . her voice , however , lacks the necessary weight at times . this could be because she was given the worst lines in a movie whose major weakness is the script . some minor flaws , hairline cracks in fine porcelain , appear in places . there are one or two instances of jerky editing . the script takes the edge off the film's climaxes . the atmosphere becomes too claustrophobic at times ( yet , there is a clue there too ) . one wonders if even after two decades , _blade runner_ is still casting its long shadow over sci-fi films . one can see a group of suits in their suite , waving their hands imperiously at directors like the emperor in _amadeus_ : " make it more like_blade runner_ , you know , dark and rainy . " _the thirteen floor_ is that rare exception among hollywood movies : a , rich , emotionally satisfying , intelligent sci-fi movie . and yet , ultimately , it proves the suits right . for when good sci-fi is made , where is the sf community turning out in droves to see it ? if we don't support great sf , who will ?
