Source Code

After reading the reviews for "Source Code," I was expecting a compelling storyline, great acting, and an "Inception"-like surprise ending. The most I can say about the movie is that it was just okay. The storyline, while repetitive, seemed to work very well. Though not everyone wants to go into a movie and see the same eight minutes repeated over and over and over, but I didn't have a problem with it. The scenes seemed to change just enough to still create a gripping story without spoiling the ending too soon.

Source Code
Language: English,  Country: USA

Release Date: 1 May 2011 

Box Office
Budget: $32,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $14,812,094 (USA), Gross: $53,850,556 (USA) (5 June 2011)
Technical Details
Runtime: 93 min, Sound Mix: DTS  |Dolby Digital
Color: Color, Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga

2 years after his previous film, Moon, Duncan Jones' new film, Source Code, hit the theaters. After showing potential through his previous film, Duncan has now proved himself to be on the front of new directors, with the promise of becoming a great 'new-generation' director, possibly even reaching the acclaim that directors like Christopher Nolan and David Fincher have received.

Source Code has a storyline that is very insinuating to the 1993 classic film Groundhog Day, as the main story involves giving the main character (in this case Colter Stevens, played by Jake Gyllenhaal) the ability to relive a period of time over and over again.

Colter Stevens is an army officer who has woken to find himself in an enclosed chamber, where he is the center of a 'scientific' breakthrough, called Source Code. As he spends time in this chamber he learns why he is there and what his purpose is. This purpose is for him to relive the last 8 minutes of teacher Sean Fentress, a passenger on a train which was destroyed in a bomb attack. He must keep revisiting Sean's last 8 minutes over and over to eventually identify the bomber, thus preventing another explosion in the future. This is the main stronghold of the film, with many smaller stories intertwined within, giving the film a feeling of depth.

Before I go into the appealing aspects of Source Code, I would like to point out a few of the flaws. This film's genre is defined as science fiction, which it is, but reputedly not in some aspects. Science-fiction is meant to depict technological advances with a few other themes showing up often, such as space and time travel. Now this film does have 'time-travel' as a sort, even though in the film it is described more of 'time reassignment' than anything else, but the real problem lies where the science is.

Source Code is supposedly an advanced program which helps predict what will happen in the future, but the way it is depicted in the movie is very obscure. Colter Stevens is 'taking over' Sean Fentress' mind, finding out what happened in the last 8 minutes of his life, but does that mean that he receives Fentress' memories as well? Supposedly not, but it is never explained, so you can't be sure.

There is another problem with the Source Code itself is the suggestion of pseudoscience (which is how the Source Code 'works'), which is explained far too easily in the film for it be even believable by the most obtuse viewers, rather than the enigmatic nature of explanations in other science fiction films. This kills off any part of the film feeling like it could even plausibly happen; it is never realistic. And sure, films aren't really ever meant to be realistic, but when you watch films you feel part of the film, you are almost 'in' the story for the period that it runs for. Here it just throws you back into reality.

Nevertheless, the rest of the film is rather well paced and always interesting. Despite Stevens returning to the same 'event', it always manages to involve something new: a new detail or an aspect not shown to the viewer beforehand. This keeps the viewer interested and never bored.

The cast is well chosen, with Jake Gyllenhaal obviously being the most noticeable actor, playing Stevens with a convincing performance of a customary, genuine character. Michelle Monaghan plays a sweet and occasionally anxious character, Christina Warren. Vera Farmiga plays the charming and slightly lonely Goodwin, who acts as the 'good cop' in the story, opposed to the 'bad cop' that Dr. Rutledge (played by Jeffrey Wright) ends up being.
The script is well written, with many a memorable quote, and a subtle atmosphere is brought by it, an atmosphere of despair and worry, with a slight overhanging feeling of cheer and humor. It isn't anything particularly special, but it's worth a mention.

As for any other lasting criticism, the last scene could do with some work for viewers, as the 'message' if you can call it that, will fly over some (or many) viewers heads. As Stevens and Christina approach the 'Cloud Gate' in Chicago, the world around them is shown as distorted and bent. I think that this makes it reflect on the film as a whole, showing how they distort the future and bend it into something else.
Source Code is a flawed science fiction film, but it's not without its great moments. The cast is well chosen, the dialogue is notable, and the concept is interesting, even if it is not pulled off as well as you would expect. Some viewers may get slightly confused with the story, but most will understand. Duncan has proved himself to be an 'up-and-coming' film director, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Credit - Finn Nahon , Source