Starring: Jake Gyllenhal, Michelle Monaghan.
Source Code (directed by Duncan Jones who also directed the wonderful sci-fi flick Moon starring Sam Rockwell) is another high concept sci-fi film. Colt Stevens (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is sent back in time to take the place of a man on a train that will explode in eight minutes. Can he find out who the bomber is and so help prevent the future, threatened attacks?
Just like his previous film, Moon, Duncan Jones has a film with a simple set up that is rife with possibilities. This makes the film very unpredictable on some levels which fascinates me. Going in, this film could be anything from a thought provoking study on the nature of man to a flashy effects laden summer blockbuster...
The truth is that the end film is something in between. It is as thought provoking as Moon was but it is played at a higher tempo and that makes it more commercial. Some will bewail the ‘dumbing down’ but actually this is a very intelligent movie in some ways, it just deals with it’s more complex themes of parallel realities, fate and time travel in a way that is very simple for the average viewer to understand.
Jake Gyllenhaal is perfectly cast, as he is rugged enough to convince as the army pilot, but able to act well enough to have you genuinely feel sympathy for his situation and it’s consequences. Opposite him Michelle Monaghan has the difficult task of replaying the same 8 minutes whilst keeping her performance fresh as the friend on the doomed train. She is also excellent if a little under developed as a character.
In fact if I have one small complaint about Source Code it is that, because it is so focussed on Jake Gyllenhaal’s character the other people in the film are really only there for him to interact with. We never really find out much about them beyond their link with him. In this context it is not so much of a problem because of the strength of Gyllenhaal’s role but it does lessen the impact of the unexpected turn the story takes in the third act. It is difficult to see why he would make the choice he does beyond bland heroism.
But as I say my quibbles are small and don’t ruin the film by any means.
Source Code is a film that has a great idea at it’s core, and is, as a result, an interesting film. But wether you like the ending, or wether you feel it is a bit of a cop out, will ultimately decide on wether you love it or not. I liked the ending whilst accepting that it was a bit of a cop out. Happy endings work well at the box office apparently and if Source Code had to have one so that Duncan Jones gets to make more films then so be it. At least it isn’t the happy ending you expect when you walk in the door.
Did I enjoy the film? Yes.
Would I recommend it to my friends? Yes.
Will I buy it on DVD/Blu Ray? Probably after it has been out a while and is a little cheaper.
If it was a mate would I let it date my Sister? Probably not, it's nice enough but needs to be just a little deeper.
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