Source Code is the film that brings director Duncan Jones to mainstream entertainment. If Jones’ name sounds familiar then you probably have seen Moon and know how talented this guy is. And it seems like he enjoys science fiction, but Moon and Source Code are not just sci-fi movies. This film is smart, suspenseful, and while it only hints at deeper issues, the film still manages to get its message across about human interaction and how technology can pick us up or take us down.
Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up on a train, but he is not himself. He has taken over the identity of another man and has no idea how he got there. While he is trying to find out who he is and where he is going, the train blows up. Stevens wakes up and realizes he is part of a governmental experiment called “Source Code.” It is a program that allows him to be someone else for the last eight minutes of their life. Since him and the guy on the train are a perfect match, it only makes sense.
Why is Stevens in the “Source Code?” He has been sent on a mission to find the bomb and the bomber on the train and stop it in order to prevent a bigger terrorist attack in downtown Chicago. So in order for him to complete the mission, he has to keep going back and re-living the last eight minutes on the train until he can gather enough clues to solve the mystery from the past to prevent an attack in the future.
Jones has created quite a puzzle of a film. The audience learns more and more about Stevens and his situation as the character himself does. Every time he is sent back on the train, there is something new and fresh about it. And each time, Stevens has a different view and reaction to what he must do while time is always running out. It is exciting to see what he finds out and can piece together to solve the mystery. Jones doesn’t let the film become cheap and have a twist that comes out of nowhere or one that’s just plain stupid. The film has a swift, steady pace with twists that are revealed just at the right time. Everything seems to work just right for Jones’ vision and storytelling.
Just like with Sam Rockwell in Moon, Jones gets Gyllenhaal to give a terrific performance in this. He is able to humanize his character and display real emotion and sympathy. There is so much he doesn’t know at the beginning of the film, and as time continues, he learns more about himself and we begin to feel a real connection to him. As I previously mentioned, his character and the audience are all learning and discovering at the same time, and it’s an absolute blast. Gyllenhaal has taken on great roles for himself in films like Brokeback Mountain and Donnie Darko, but this has to be one of his best performances in a long time.
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed) plays Colleen Goodwin who is basically the only person who interacts with Stevens. She is trying to give him the opportunity to find out what he is looking for before the next attack occurs, but she also can only tell him so much and it is mainly information about Stevens himself. Farmiga’s character could have been so basic and bland, but she delivers her lines in a way that makes you know she is full of regrets and concerns, but tries to keep them hidden. Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Syriana) plays the creator of “Source Code” and he is ultimately the mad scientist in the film. He knows his machine works and can only imagine the possibilities.
Source Code is a sci-fi, action-thriller but still remains to focus and be about people. It is intriguing and entertaining all the way through. Jones has created such an inventive story while using amazing actors to tell it that Source Code becomes one big adventure that keeps you guessing and wanting to know what will happen all the time. You can’t help but look forward to what Jones will do next.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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