SourceCode

Source Code (2011)

A man named Colter wakes on a commuter train outside Chicago. The woman across from him keeps calling him by another name and when he looks in the mirror the face starring back at him isn’t his own. Before he can get over his disorientation the train explodes and he wakes in some sort of chamber. Here he and we the audience start to piece together the fact that he is part of some sort of government project to hop backwards in time to gather information on terrorist attacks. His handlers, whom he only communicates with via a remote connection, keep urging him to find out who planted the bomb so they can prevent another attack. Apparently the technology won’t allow you to undo the past, just view it. Bit by bit Colter pieces together who is responsible, but after gathering that wants to go back and try to stop the attack. But there are some things about the technology and the project that Colter doesn’t know about or remember, and they are rather disturbing.

Source Code is a wonderful bit of intelligent science fiction. There aren’t any aliens from outer space or technology gone amok. Instead the movie is about using the technology to prevent all too real horrors from happening to anymore people. The story is engaging and kept my attention as it slowly unravels itself on the screen. This is one that will have you guessing, and not in a forced “when is the next twist coming” sort of way. I don’t want to say much more about this because it will spoil the enjoyment of watching this great movie for the first time. All I will say is that the story is satisfying and has an uplifting ending that is a joy to watch. As a big science fiction fan too many genre movies have a downer ending and it really gets depressing after a while.

I wanted to mention the performance of Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role of Colter Stevens. With the kind of narrative that Source Code has playing the same events out over and over again it really takes a talented actor to give a performance that shows his character progressing while all around him keeps repeating. How the Colter character relates to what is happening is key to the audience believing in and enjoying the story. If he doesn’t sell the story to us it just doesn’t work. He does and because of that the movie is great. Not much else I can say about it.

Can’t review a sci-fi movie without talking about the special effects. Here in spite of the story they have to make things look like technology that we might actually have. The scenes in the lab as Colter is sent back again and again to find the identity of the bomber looks like something we might actually have built. If they had gone the way of the mad scientist type lab with all kinds of unlikely looking machines it would of ruined it. The story line wants to be taken seriously and with the nature of the plot it needed a subdued look. As far as the explosions (well really just the one seen in different ways) I thought it was pretty good. Though don’t expect any graphic gore or that sort of thing. This isn’t that kind of movie. Then again the movie doesn’t need that kind of shock value because I cared about the characters, seeing them meet their demise again and again was disturbing. Without giving away any spoilers there is one fairly horrific reveal that is just kind of sad.

Source Code is a great movie and one that I think everyone should check out right away. I got the Blu-Ray for reviews and it is packed with all sorts of special features for fans to further enjoy the movie. This includes a commentary track from the director Duncan Jones, writer Ben Ripley, and star Jake Gyllenhaal. I’m very interested to listen to it. I highly recommend this one.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer