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The 4th Floor
Year: 1999
Classification: Drama

Actors/Actresses:

- Juliette Lewis
- William Hurt
- Shelley Duvall
- Josh Klausner




Crazy Making Drama

This movie based in New York filmed mostly in Canada surrounds Juliette Lewis characters inolvement with elder TV Weatherman played by William Hurt. The story sounds familiar, Older Guy, Young Girl, Older guy says please move in with me to my Westchester N.Y. home,Younger girl: No I want to live in Manhattan and be on my own for now. As Lewis moves into her 5th Floor Greenwich Village Apartment she is greeted with a much to nosy but friendly landlord, a surly superintendent, a deaf couple and a mysterious never seen woman on the 4th floor who never goes out and complains unreasonably about the noise Lewis is making. She pounds on her ceiling while Lewis moves the furniture around. The complaints become threatening through notes left on her door and terrible things begin to happen. The movies upside is that it's relatable to anybody who's ever been stuck living in an apartment with weird and annoying neighbors. If this isn't you then you can still sympathize with Lewis as she is well acted as a likeable 20 something victim in Americas biggest city. This drama borders the fine line of thriller and horror flick remaining a psychological rollercoaster. There are many times you'll say "Just Move!" Some parts of this movie are pleasant as you see residential Manhattan through Lewis' eyes as she peeks out the window. Some parts leave you on the edge of your seat. Without blowing it's possible surprise ending for you the movie goes from what could be a possible beleivable conclusion to something as covincing as the sci fi channel. Even the final scene which is there to make us think does just that. It catches us between the message it intends and it's implausibility in which you can't help say... No way! That isn't possible!


Superb Thriller

I am reviewing the budget version of this film which is available on the Sterling label. I paid about $6 for this dvd which I thoroughly enjoyed the first time I rented it. This budget version differs from the original A Pix version: There are no commentaries/alternate endings with this Sterling version. If you want those extras, you'll have to buy the other version. No captioning bothered me since I am so used to having that option. But since I listen with headphones, this isn't a problem. Picture quality is very good with some slight grain. Audio is 2ch despite what is printed on the keep case: Dolby Digital Stereo, it isn't. Minor complaints however considering the first-rate cast and excellent performances by all: Juliette Lewis as our victim-who-gets-run-through-the-mill by a creepy neighbor(Austin Pendleton), William Hurt as her 'I warned you' boyfriend, Shelly Duvall as the nosy oddball landlady. There is of course the apartment building with a long history and sinister feel about it, darkly-lit as well. I was reminded a lot of 'Rear Window'. I should also mention Tobin Bell as the beady-eyed handyman who has a secret. A perfect mix of atmospherics, characters, mood, pacing, score and the suprise ending. Quite a lot of six bucks.


Works well for a while, falls apart in the end...

If it wasn't for the way it totally fell apart in the end (specifically the last 20 minutes), "4th Floor" could've been a cool thriller well in the lines of films that exploit the haunted house theme or that of the psychotic neighbor.BR> It's more the psycho-neighbor theme here, but set up in a building that's got "weird" written all over it, and actually, except for the character of Juliette Lewis everyone else in her building seems to have gone off to the other side.
That's what keeps the film interesting and entertaining for the most part: weidos living on its floor, each of them obeying some kind of bizzare "rules" and each warning the new tenant to abide by them too "or else". All this complete with worms coming out of bathtub holes, mice infesting the new tenant's apartment, threatening notes infront of her door and other oddities.
Lewis plays the part very convincingly and all that really remains is for the resolution in the end to bring sense to the whole sum, but alas, this doesn't happen.
The never-to-be-seen psycho from the floor below does appear, but not in a way that makes too much sense really, and even if (out of good will) you'll be willing to overlook that part, the final confrontation between the new tenant and the villain is almost farsical (i laughed through a couple of scenes) spoiling the goods.
Overall, not one worth shedding money to buy, but probably worth the rental on a rainy winter night....






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