Source Code Review
Running Time: 1 Hour & 33 Minutes
Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal-Captain Colter Stevens/Sean Fentress
Michelle Monaghan-Christina Warren
Vera Farmiga-Captain Colleen Goodwin
Jeffrey Wright-Dr. Rutledge
Michael Arden-Derek Frost
Cas Anvar-Hazmi
Russell Peters-Max Denoff
Brent Skagford-George Troxel
Scott Bakula (voice)-Colter’s Father
Directed by Duncan Jones
British director Duncan Jones made a splash in 2008 with his feature debut, “Moon,” a science fiction/drama film that earned him numerous accolades from critics, but unfortunately was ignored by mainstream audiences. With influences from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Stanislaw Lem’s 1961 novel Solaris, “Moon” ‘illustrates a truism forgotten by Hollywood: the best science fiction films are about something’ (James Berardinelli, ReelViews). In his sophomore outing, Jones directs “Source Code,” a film where he had no hand in writing the script. Can lighting strike twice for this rising director? The answer is yes as “Source Code,” despite being let down by a forced and contrived ending, benefits from its taut pacing, an intriguing and novel premise, and a sincere performance from Jake Gyllenhaal.
A decorated U.S. Army helicopter pilot serving in Afghanistan named Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up disoriented and confused on a commuter train headed for Chicago. Sitting across from him is an attractive woman named Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan), who seems to know him as history teacher Sean Fentress. With no memory of how he arrived there, Colter discovers to his shock that his face is not his own. Eight minutes later, a bomb explodes, derailing and killing everyone onboard the train. However, Colter is not dead and wakes up trapped in some sort of capsule. He is greeted by Air Force officer Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who reveals that he is in a military experiment dubbed the ‘Source Code,’ which allows Colter to take over the mind and body of someone in his or her last eight minutes of life. It is a way to visit the past through an alternate reality/parallel universe. Goodwin briefs Colter that earlier in the day, a bomb went off and destroyed a train heading for Chicago, the same train he had awoken in. Colter’s mission is to find the bomb and discover the person who built it so he can prevent a second bomb, a dirty nuclear device, from going off in downtown Chicago. Each time, he will only have eight minutes to complete his goal. However, stopping the bomb is the least of Colter’s problems as he also tries to unravel the mystery of how he came to participate in the Source Code.
At first glance, “Source Code” looks like another generic sci-fi action flick, with its tag-line a blatant rip-off of “127 Hours” but thanks to its intriguing premise, it successfully blends elements of “24” with 2006’s “Déjà Vu,” a Denzel Washington film that also explored time travel through the use of alternate timelines. There are certainly some gaps in its logic and its ideas on alternate realities, infinite parallel universes, and quantum mechanics will go over mainstream audiences, but it is precisely these elements that elevate it from the average science fiction film. It also touches upon the military’s obsession of turning soldiers into living weapons at the cost of their own humanity. Since Colter is forced to relive the same eight minutes over and over again, Jones is at risk of being repetitive, even if it is out of necessity for the story. He manages to hold our attention through the slight altering of details and character actions, dropping a few breadcrumbs here and there. It is an absolute must that you are alert or you’ll become lost. The pacing is tight so it is unlikely to be a bore, but “Source Code” is unfortunately let down with an out-of-the-blue ending that actually confuses more than it helps. The film comes to a brilliant and satisfying stopping point, but it’s saddled with a forced and contrived ending in an effort to leave the audience feeling ‘upbeat’ or ‘ happy.’
This is Jake Gyllenhaal’s show and he proves to be up to the task, deftly moving through a range of emotions that includes confusion, anger, desperation and determination. His insistence on saving everyone and doing what’s right feel sincere and honest. One scene where he tearfully calls his father is extremely well-done. The rest of the cast play essential, if secondary, roles. Gyllenhaal has some cute chemistry with Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga, in what could’ve been a paycheck role, is forced to grapple with her moral convictions as Captain Colleen Goodwin. The only disappointment is Jeffrey Wright, who exhibits little personality as the creator of the Source Code.
Released on April 1, 2011, “Source Code” has received overwhelmingly positive reviews with 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. So far, it is one of the few best reviewed films of the year. Critics praised Jones for ‘finding the human story amidst the action…[to] craft a smart, satisfying sci-fi thriller.’ Competing against the animated flick “Hop” and James Wan’s “Insidious,” the film had a rather ho-hum debut at the box office, coming in at #2 with $14 million. With a current worldwide gross of $43 million against an estimated $32 million production budget, it’s poised to be at least a modest success. Despite repeated attempts, Gyllenhaal has never had a film that opened big with the exception of Roland Emmerich’s “The Day After Tomorrow” in 2004. The main plot of “Source Code” is rather conventional, but it’s the smart use of its ideas that make the film such a breath of fresh air without thumbing itself down. The ending is weak but for much of its ninety minute running time, it remains a taut thrill ride.
Final Rating: 4 out of 5
“What would you do if you knew you only had one minute to live?”
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