Source Code

I can't possibly say enough good things about director Duncan Jones' (son of David Bowie) directorial debut, 2009's Moon. Moon was stellar is so many ways. It had an amazing script. It was directed beautifully. It had a balls to the wall, fearless, tour de force performance from Sam Rockwell. Moon was just amazing. So, I guess I had high expectations for Source Code, Jones' sophomore effort. But guess what? Source Code does NOT disappoint! Sure, it has a few problems and I'll nitpick about them in a minute. But, overall, Source Code is a sharp, smart thriller with enough suspense and twists and turns to fulfill you.

The plot is a little hard to explain. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as an army helicopter pilot who suddenly finds himself on a daring new mission: he gets to inhabit the body of another man named Sean, who is a passenger on a commuter train that was bombed outside of Chicago. This new revolutionary program called the Source Code was invented by a slightly crazy scientist (Jeffrey Wright) and is initiated by a mysterious captain named Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). The catch is, he can only inhabit the body for 8 minutes at a time, so he must go from the body to a holding cell, back and forth, until he can successfully find the bomber, who is planning to set off a dirty bomb in downtown Chicago sometime in the very near future. While on the train, "Sean" interacts with a whole slew of passengers, including the sweet and beautiful Christina (Michelle Monaghan), who he decides he is going to save from the bomb, even though Goodwin tells him that it is impossible. Got it? Well, like I said, it's hard to explain, but believe me, it is EXCITING!

Source Code is for sure an edge of your seat thriller. The plot is confusing, sure, but it is also ridiculously smart (just like Moon). If you like your movies to be entertaining AND smart, then Source Code is definitely right up your alley. Plus, there is enough humor throughout the movie to keep the mood light. Sure, saving the world is serious business, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun! I also quite enjoyed the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Monaghan. Source Code is a perfect sci-fi romance and the leads have incredible chemistry. Going into the movie, I thought the romance element would play off as cheesy and forced, but it doesn't at all, growing organically and believably. Jones' direction is superb as well. The script is also fantastic. This isn't your typical stock Hollywood paint-by-numbers thriller. It's different and it's edgy.

My main problem is with the performances. Don't get me wrong, the principal cast does a fantastic job in the movie. Gyllenhaal manages to carry the movie on his shoulders perfectly, something I wasn't sure he could do. Monaghan is delightful and sweet. Farmiga is great as a stoic captain who we get to know more about as the movie goes on. Wright also does a solid job with a small role. However, none of them stand out the way Rockwell's performance did in Moon. I know it's not fair to combine the two, since the only thing they have in common is their director, but after Moon, I couldn't help but think of Jones as someone who is capable of getting a really great, jaw-dropping AMAZING performance from an actor. I also know Rockwell can act circles around all of the actors in this particular movie, but that doesn't mean I wasn't slightly disappointed that there wasn't really a performance that I want to talk about for days. I'd rather focus on how amazing the movie is rather than the work of a particular actor, and that is odd for me. Another of my major problems is the ending. It leaves you with more questions than answers (which I actually don't mind. Afterall, I did watch Lost for six seasons). However, I feel like they went a little out of their way to tack on the "happily ever after" / "silver lining" ending. I prefer my movies with a little more doom and gloom, thankyouverymuch.

Still, Jones is surely a director to watch, proving that his first project wasn't just a fluke. He managed to helm yet another fantastic sci-fi thriller. Source Code is, by far, the best movie of 2011, so far. It is poised to become a cult hit, that's for sure. It's definitely a good movie, and with a different, re-worked ending, it could ahve been a great one.

Grade: B