This was one I had been looking forward to for quite a while, ever since I learned that it was being helmed by relative newcomer Duncan Jones (a little bit of trivia, his father is rock god David Bowie). Ever since I saw his previous film Moon it was clear he would be the new hot talent in Hollywood, much in the same vein as Christopher Nolan was after he mad Memento. He has a great ability to input very personal stories in to films that exist on a much grander scale, even if they seem t be by the naked eye.
The story starts out simple enough, a pilot is placed into a program called the Source Code that enables him to relive the last eight minutes of someone else’s life. It is up to him to find out who is behind a terrorist bombing on a commuter train in order to help prevent another attack. As a result he has to relive the same events over and over again, and slowly we realize that not everything is quite as it seems in regards to the Source Code (that’s all I’ll say in order to avoid spoilers).
The story could have been done as a straight forward action flick, but so many different elements are brought into play that it is able to become something far more, with discussions going on about philosophy, ethics, and the question “if you knew you only had a few minutes left to live, what would you do?” Unlike the other movie I reviewed this weekend, Hanna, none of this is thrown in your face either, it allows you to think about it and come up with some of your own conclusions to the issues raised.
From an acting standpoint, everyone involves give a good performance throughout the film, whether it is Jake Gyllenhal, Vera Farminga, and Michelle Monaghan, to the bit characters we only see or here from once or twice. My one gripe would be with Jeffrey Wright, who plays the scientist who invented the Source Code, while he is normally a very good actor, there are times when he falls into the clichéd of movie scientists. Sure it’s picking at the small details, but it was something that grated on me on occasion.
I also thought the ending could have been handled a little better. Not to give anything away, but I think it went on for a few minutes too long in order to give a more conventional ending that movie goers would enjoy instead of a more open ended one, but that is just a preferential thing.
Source Code is a well-put together, exciting film that is worth being seen, and garners multiple viewing in order to get all of the nuances that the story holds. In the meanwhile I look forward to the next film from Duncan Jones, it seems as though a real treasure of filmmaking has come forward, and frankly that is something Hollywood desperately needs.
Next week...Scream 4(*sigh*)
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