Review of Source Code (2011) by Francis L — 03 Jun 2013

(8/10).

Source Code is a terrific sci-fi/action thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan and Jeffrey Wright. The film was directed by Duncan Jones (the son of David Bowie) who's previous film was the incredible sci-fi film Moon starring Sam Rockwell. This director has got a bright future in Hollywood.

The plot follows Capt. Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) who suddenly wakes up on a train and talking to Michelle Monaghan. It turns out that he is inside the body of another person. 7 minutes later, the train explodes and he wakes up in this weird room and is talking to Vera Farmiga on a monitor. She explains that he has been tasked with finding out who bombed the train and where the bomb is via the Source Code. The Source Code is this program that allows Gyllenhaal to be transported into the body of one of the train victims 7 minutes at a time. While he is following his orders, he develops an interest in Michelle Monaghan and he also finds out some dark secrets involving himself along the way.

The movie is a very entertaining piece of sci-fi that's sort of like The Matrix meets Groundhog Day. This film was a breath of fresh air and I hope Duncan Jones will have a very successful career in sci-fi because Hollywood definitely has a shortage of original ideas and it seems that Jones has plenty. The movie is well acted and very well written with lots of unpredictable twists and a compelling story. It's very rare now-a-days that a sci-fi movie comes along with a protagonist that you can relate to and care about. Capt. Colter Stevens makes for a relate-able, human protagonist and we don't know much more about the situation that he's in than he does himself, which adds great mystery to the film.

There are some problems with the movie that stop it from reaching greatness though. First off, the movie can get somewhat repetitive. What I mean by that is he goes in the Source Code so many times during the movie that it can get tiring seeing the same outcome unfold each time with slight differences. The other main problem I had with the film is that the ending doesn't really make much sense, even though it's oddly compelling.

Overall, I highly recommend this film to any movie lover looking for a very smart, original piece of science fiction with realistic characters. Just keep in mind that it can get a little repetitive at times.