"Source Code" Film Review by: Matthew R. Reis (Out on DVD)
Boom goes the dirty bomb (Now on DVD)
4 Stars
Blog Exclusive!
What if you had only minutes to live? What would you think, feel and do in that short amount of time? Well Jake Gyllenhaal (Brothers) knows he has to make every second count in order to save the city of Chicago from a terrorist attack just 8 minutes in the future. As Jake finds out in "Source Code" anything is possible except failure.
Army helicopter pilot Col. Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) awakens aboard a Chicago bound train with no memory of how he got there. Feeling confused Stevens rushes into a bathroom and looks in the mirror. What he sees is terrifying. He realizes that he’s inside somebody else's body, but before he digests this information a bomb rips through the train as easily as a knife cuts through butter. As everyone perishes Stevens is transported to a futuristic, metallic pod stowed away in a remote arctic wasteland. He’s tightly strapped into a seat that is surrounded by video monitors. Inside the pod he learns that he is on a secret military mission with experimental technology (the Source Code) that allows him to relive the past, but not change it, in order to find the perpetrator behind a deadly dirty bomb attack aimed at the heart of Chicago.
Director Duncan Jones helms arguably the year's most exciting film in “Source Code.” While just 93 minutes in length this action-thriller packs more twists and turns than Lombard Street. Ben Ripley’s script is smart, sophisticated and succinct. Despite the short run time, his top-notch writing isn't lacking in quality. Ripley successfully balances his style with the right amount of substance, relying on one or the other only when needed. The icing on “Source Code’s” delicious cake is Paul Hirsch’s flawless editing. Each and every moment will keep audiences biting their fingernails in anticipation and asking, “did that really just happen?”
When all of the film’s upsides are taken into account, great acting, slick pacing and deeply disturbing military secrets, it is hard to find much to complain about. However there are a few things that are not up to snuff in “Source Code.” For example: though there is always something intriguing happening onscreen the limited run time doesn't allow for some plot points to be explored. This limitation therefore leaves many questions unanswered.
Another area that needs some shoring up is the supporting cast’s purpose. These secondary characters should be vibrant, funny, memorable additions to the film. Yet they are painted in a very one-dimensional light. In essence these characters are role players without roles. Their primary function is to look pretty, fill up the frame and not impact the film negatively. Ripley’s characters should have been written with more edginess to them. These characters could either help or impede Col. Colter Stevens from completing his time sensitive mission.
The last chink in “Source Code’s” armor concerns a gaping plot hole tied to the protagonist. If Christina Warren (played by Michelle Monaghan) is still Christina Warren in this alternate version of the past what actually happens to Sean Fentress? Does Fentress cease to exist once Col. Colter Stevens begins to control his body?
On the flipside Gyllenhaal’s performance showcases his canny ability to deal with emotionally heavy material in a realistically touching manner. His range as an actor is impressive. He technically plays two roles in the film, his real life persona Col. Stevens and his assumed identity, schoolteacher Sean Fentress.
The railway car setting of “Source Code” is a great building block for an action-thriller. Basically the entirety of the movie plays out on the commuter train. The lack of other locations does not dampen the excitement of the film since the director utilizes the train’s layout and how the characters react to their environment in order to tell the story. A large portion of the train is used to give the film a unique flavor just like the manner in which the bus is used in 1994s “Speed.”
Last but not least is the terrific characterization of Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright,) the man behind the Source Code project. Taken at face value Dr. Rutledge is a seemingly decent man, but he is actually a highly complex individual layered with both good and bad influences. His decision to basically enslave Col. Stevens in the Source Code could be viewed as a sinister act, but he is more than a fiend with no morality. Rutledge is responsible for stopping a mass murder and preventing subsequent collateral damage at all costs regardless of the ethical dilemmas present. In Rutledge’s view using Col. Stevens as his toy soldier (and denying him his freedom) is necessary to ensure the safety of America.
Who knew that a film whose premise is a marriage between “Inception” and “Groundhog Day” could turn out so well? Strong dialogue and solid technical chops mold “Source Code” into one of 2011s must see films. Do not miss it because who knows when your 8 minutes are up?
“Source Code” was written by Ben Ripley and directed by Duncan Jones.
Feel free 010101 watch the 0101011 below:
As always thanks for reading!
©2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
4 Stars
Blog Exclusive!
What if you had only minutes to live? What would you think, feel and do in that short amount of time? Well Jake Gyllenhaal (Brothers) knows he has to make every second count in order to save the city of Chicago from a terrorist attack just 8 minutes in the future. As Jake finds out in "Source Code" anything is possible except failure.
Army helicopter pilot Col. Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) awakens aboard a Chicago bound train with no memory of how he got there. Feeling confused Stevens rushes into a bathroom and looks in the mirror. What he sees is terrifying. He realizes that he’s inside somebody else's body, but before he digests this information a bomb rips through the train as easily as a knife cuts through butter. As everyone perishes Stevens is transported to a futuristic, metallic pod stowed away in a remote arctic wasteland. He’s tightly strapped into a seat that is surrounded by video monitors. Inside the pod he learns that he is on a secret military mission with experimental technology (the Source Code) that allows him to relive the past, but not change it, in order to find the perpetrator behind a deadly dirty bomb attack aimed at the heart of Chicago.
Director Duncan Jones helms arguably the year's most exciting film in “Source Code.” While just 93 minutes in length this action-thriller packs more twists and turns than Lombard Street. Ben Ripley’s script is smart, sophisticated and succinct. Despite the short run time, his top-notch writing isn't lacking in quality. Ripley successfully balances his style with the right amount of substance, relying on one or the other only when needed. The icing on “Source Code’s” delicious cake is Paul Hirsch’s flawless editing. Each and every moment will keep audiences biting their fingernails in anticipation and asking, “did that really just happen?”
When all of the film’s upsides are taken into account, great acting, slick pacing and deeply disturbing military secrets, it is hard to find much to complain about. However there are a few things that are not up to snuff in “Source Code.” For example: though there is always something intriguing happening onscreen the limited run time doesn't allow for some plot points to be explored. This limitation therefore leaves many questions unanswered.
Another area that needs some shoring up is the supporting cast’s purpose. These secondary characters should be vibrant, funny, memorable additions to the film. Yet they are painted in a very one-dimensional light. In essence these characters are role players without roles. Their primary function is to look pretty, fill up the frame and not impact the film negatively. Ripley’s characters should have been written with more edginess to them. These characters could either help or impede Col. Colter Stevens from completing his time sensitive mission.
The last chink in “Source Code’s” armor concerns a gaping plot hole tied to the protagonist. If Christina Warren (played by Michelle Monaghan) is still Christina Warren in this alternate version of the past what actually happens to Sean Fentress? Does Fentress cease to exist once Col. Colter Stevens begins to control his body?
On the flipside Gyllenhaal’s performance showcases his canny ability to deal with emotionally heavy material in a realistically touching manner. His range as an actor is impressive. He technically plays two roles in the film, his real life persona Col. Stevens and his assumed identity, schoolteacher Sean Fentress.
The railway car setting of “Source Code” is a great building block for an action-thriller. Basically the entirety of the movie plays out on the commuter train. The lack of other locations does not dampen the excitement of the film since the director utilizes the train’s layout and how the characters react to their environment in order to tell the story. A large portion of the train is used to give the film a unique flavor just like the manner in which the bus is used in 1994s “Speed.”
Last but not least is the terrific characterization of Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright,) the man behind the Source Code project. Taken at face value Dr. Rutledge is a seemingly decent man, but he is actually a highly complex individual layered with both good and bad influences. His decision to basically enslave Col. Stevens in the Source Code could be viewed as a sinister act, but he is more than a fiend with no morality. Rutledge is responsible for stopping a mass murder and preventing subsequent collateral damage at all costs regardless of the ethical dilemmas present. In Rutledge’s view using Col. Stevens as his toy soldier (and denying him his freedom) is necessary to ensure the safety of America.
Who knew that a film whose premise is a marriage between “Inception” and “Groundhog Day” could turn out so well? Strong dialogue and solid technical chops mold “Source Code” into one of 2011s must see films. Do not miss it because who knows when your 8 minutes are up?
“Source Code” was written by Ben Ripley and directed by Duncan Jones.
Feel free 010101 watch the 0101011 below:
As always thanks for reading!
©2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
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