Rating:  

The Mark Gordon Company, Vendome Pictures, and Summit Entertainment.

Written by: Ben Ripley.

After a series of aerial shots take us up and above the Chicago skyline, “Source Code” drops us directly into a Chicago commuter train where a man is suddenly jolted awake. A beautiful woman (Michelle Monaghan) sits across from him, thanking him for giving her advice that she put to good use. The man (Jake Gyllenhaal)is disoriented, confused, and has no sense of who he is, where he is, or why he is there. The man starts to tell the woman he is not who she thinks he is, states that he is Captain Colter Stevens and is in the military. Excusing himself to use the bathroom, the reflection he sees in the mirror is of a different man. His wallet identifies him as Sean Fentress and when he is advised by the woman that everything will be alright, a massive bomb detonates, destroying the train and everyone on board.

And then, the man awakens again. This time, he is locked in a chamber or containment vessel, harnessed and unable to move. Groggy and confused, a woman begins speaking to him on a monitor. She is a decorated member of the military and identifies herself as Captain Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). As she begins to run through a set of memory recovery drills, he again states that he is Captain Colter Stevens, a helicopter pilot stationed in Afghanistan. He demands answers as to why he is locked down in isolation and if his fellow soldiers are safe. Goodwin’s persistent use of patterned questions eventually allows Stevens’ memory to return and she asks Stevens whether or not he found the bomb and/or can identify the bomber of the commuter train.

Stevens is told that he is not actually in Afghanistan, but has been training for the previous two months in the top secret Source Code project – a highly sophisticated government program where individuals can be implanted into the lives of others for the final 8 minutes of a person’s life. Stevens learns that he has been implanted into Sean Fentress’ life and his mission is to find the location of the bomb, identify the bomber, and provide the information and details to the government to avoid the potential activation of a second nuclear device in the heart of Chicago later that same day.

And back he goes to the train again and again, nailing down detail after detail in 8-minute intervals. He eyes one passenger, then another, and begins analyzing the passengers’ behaviors and mannerisms. To watch this unfold is captivating. In many ways, “Source Code” is a visual form of a logic puzzle – the kind which provides the rules or instructions to follow and a grid to map everything out. To solve those puzzles, you go line by line and re-read and re-read until the answers begin to surface. And here, by virtue of a carefully constructed and impressively clever screenplay by Ben Ripley, you are searching that train with Stevens, looking for clues which may or may not be there. You are essentially playing a fascinating game that gets its hooks in you and does not let go.

In all honesty, I hesitate to use gaming analogies when describing “Source Code”. To classify “Source Code” as a simple, cinematic game fails to give the work its proper and just due. Duncan Jones is very subtle in his delivery of the story. Little nuances and differences pass by with seemingly no consequence, but then other details change, calling into question what you think may be happening. As Jones navigates us through a series of 8-minute intervals, he understands the desperation and urgency lurking beneath every trip back to that train. What makes “Source Code” work so well is the mounting suspense and unease Jones ratchets up ever-so-slightly in scene after scene. While you brace yourself for knowing what that 8^th minute may bring, and thinking that you have those elements pegged, you are left in mystery as to the purpose of Stevens remaining in isolation – a webcam and computer monitor his only connection to any real world connection. Although the movie may not cloak all of its mysteries effectively, the synergy of shot and scene is so well constructed that it all goes down smoothly.

The main performances hold up well and Duncan Jones give us a little more character to process with each and every return. Jake Gyllenhaal balances the right levels of humor, intensity, and confusion, while Michelle Monaghan adds subtle hints as to her thoughts and feelings each time we see her. Vera Farmiga makes the most out of a difficult role; one which has her mostly just seated at a microphone and looking straight ahead into a camera. Jeffrey Wright is quite effective as Dr. Rutledge, the architect of the Source Code project. Scrutinizing and studying every moment of Stevens’ work and Goodwin’s guidance, Wright’s Dr. Rutledge casts a rather disconcerting and intimidating pall over the proceedings.

To reveal more would be cheating you from the thrills and emotional heft this material delivers. Even if you can pick out where this is going, who is involved, and the nature and extent of what is happening, there is still more to digest and process once the credits run their course. “Source Code” is an impressive achievement from an exciting new directorial voice and a screenwriter whose previous work with straight-to-video “Species” sequels would not have foretold such rich and rewarding work.

A thrilling watch, and a movie which stays with you long after its completion, “Source Code” is a wonderful surprise. And as good as it is, perhaps most importantly its success seems to prove that Duncan Jones may truly be an impressive filmmaker on the rise – one worth taking notice of for the foreseeable future.

Should I See It?

One of the most entertaining and enjoyable films of 2011 thus far. Think “Groundhog Day” and “Quantum Leap” meets “The Matrix”. And better yet, it works!

It combines action, drama, suspense, romance, humor, and science-fiction and somehow finds a way to make it all mesh together. Obviously, the leap of faith required is substantial, but skeptics will be surprised at how rewarding and thought-provoking the film truly is.

Duncan Jones fans who loved his debut, “Moon”, should exhale. With a significantly larger budget and scale to work with, he proves that he still understands the connection between character and story and I, for one, cannot wait for his next project.

For those who want an action film first, or a science-fiction themed film first, or a suspense/mystery first … the mixing together of different genres may make the film feel off, as if it doesn’t know what it is trying to do or what it wants to be.

This may all be a bit too simple for people to figure out, although the ending is drawing much debate as to its meaning. If you think you have this figured out, the 4th or 5th or 8th trip back to the train may prove unnecessary and annoying.

Fans of linear storytelling may become frustrated with the way the film jumps around in time.