Source Code Reviews

I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I thought I might as well check it out again. I remember it quite well though, when it was released, I kept hearing here and there that this flick was the best of 2011. To be honest, even though I liked it and I genuinely thought it was good, I still think it is a little bit overrated. The first issue was that I knew too much about the story before watching the damned thing so the first 20 minutes were rather laborious when the main character kept asking 'what the hell is going on? what am I doing here?' since you already had the answers to these questions. I think I would have enjoyed more the beginning if I didn't know anything about the plot beforehand. The second issue was that, each time the main character tried to solve this situation, you already know it is not going to work out since there is either one hour of running time or even 30 minutes. But, in spite of these flaws, I still think it was a good flick. Indeed, the directing was very well done and I think Duncan Jones definitely has a bright future as a director. Furthermore, even though the special effects were pretty neat, they were not the main focus here. The main focus was on the characters and their emotional state and it was greatly appreciated. Furthermore, I really enjoyed Jake Gyllenhaal's performance who managed to keep you excited by the action but he also managed tot make you care about his character and about what he was going through. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was not a great flick, it was still a solid Science-Fiction feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Really decent movie but I'm worried about the title. Source Code? There isn't one bit of code in this movie. Source Code in this movie is the system that they upload the main character into, but really source code is a text file, so they upload a person into a text file! What?

"What would you do if you knew you only had one minute to live?"

If Groundhog Day was gang-banged by 24, The Matrix and Murder on the Orient Express, Source Code would be the outcome. Written by Ben Ripley, this sophomore effort of filmmaker Duncan Jones (Moon) is a completely original piece of science fiction which works so well due to a mind-bending plot and several clever narrative gyrations. Added to this, viewers are also given a reason to care, as the makers paid attention to developing sympathetic, warm characters. How ironic it is that every smart sci-fi released since mid-2010 is compared to Inception as if that movie was the be all and end all of the genre, yet Christopher Nolan's overrated Oscar nominee came up short in the character department.

Confused and disoriented, Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) wakes up inside the body of school teacher Sean Fentress on a commuter train bound for Chicago, but last he checked he was a marine fighting alongside his battalion in Afghanistan. Seated across from him is sweet-faced, flirtatious colleague Christina Warren (Monaghan), who seems to know him well. Eight minutes later, the train explodes and everyone is killed, forcing Colter back into a steel pod where he carries on video communication with army officer Goodwin (Farmiga). He soon learns that he is being placed into a phenomenon called the "source code", allowing him to take over the mind and body of Sean during his final eight minutes of life within an alternate reality. Handed the same eight brief minutes time and time again, Colter is instructed to investigate the passengers in order to deduce the identity of the terrorist bomber and hopefully prevent future attacks. The more time he spends in Sean's body, the more determined he becomes to find a way to save Christina and the rest of the passengers from their untimely fates.

Like Christopher Nolan did with Memento, Source Code initially refuses to provide the same information that Colter lacks, thereby placing a viewer in the same bewildered mindset as the protagonist who has to rely on a computer monitor through which Goodwin instructs him and assures him that his confusions and questions are outside the scope of the mission. Luckily, Source Code is well-paced and often intriguing since only tantalisingly small pieces of information are provided. Upon close inspection, there are common threads running throughout both Source Code and 2009's Moon. On top of being intelligent, both films spotlight a protagonist trapped in isolation, and both films explore provocative identity-related questions. Though Source Code is more mainstream than Moon, it is an excellent breath of fresh air. In an era governed by mindless CGI-laden spectacles, it is indeed heart-warming to see the work of a thoughtful filmmaker with original ideas and an innovative vision.

Questions arise throughout Source Code. What would happen if Colter finds the bomber and prevents the bombing from happening inside the source code? Would it trigger an alternate reality or affect present-day? For a 90-minute film that revolves around the same limited timeframe for most of its running time, it's enthralling to watch as Colter's different actions throw the source code happenings on a different course but ultimately lead to the same general outcome in the "real world". The question as to whether the doomed passengers can be saved will also keep your interest levels high. And the ending provides a thought-provoking rumination on the notion of an infinite number of alternate universes. On the topic of the ending, it's outstanding. As well as raising challenging questions, the film closes on a satisfying yet unpredictable note that in no way sacrifices the integrity of the piece and is not a copout. Additionally, it reinforces an impassioned message: people should wake up and stop taking their lives for granted.

What is also impressive about Source Code is how competently the film has been crafted despite this only being Duncan Jones' second feature film effort. The son of David Bowie shows a gift for generating the same brand of energy and excitement that makes a film like Speed stand the test of time without coming off as derivative or forgettable. Jones and his crew did a fine job of making every frame count (thus adhering to the film's own tagline "Make Every Second Count"), and they never indulged in action, explosions or overblown visual effects for the sake of it. Other technical contributions to the film are top-notch as well, particularly Don Burgess' expert lensing, Chris Bacon's pulse-pounding score and Paul Hirsch's rhythmic editing. Only a few logical errors hinder this otherwise fine movie, such as a scene where Colter jumps off a moving train onto concrete without breaking any bones.

As Colter Stevens, Jake Gyllenhaal is solidly engaging; effortlessly providing an affable protagonist for viewers to latch onto and care about. Gyllenhaal's greatest success is the way he was able to meld desperation, intensity and contemplative pathos, not to mention he imbued his character with warmth and amiability to help viewers truly care about his circumstances. In supporting roles, Michelle Monaghan is well-nuanced and charming as Colter's love interest, while the boundlessly talented Vera Farmiga provides a great deal of personality. Jeffrey Wright has copped a lot of criticism for his performance as the creator of the source code, but this reviewer found him to be sublime - he nailed the "corporate douchebag" mentality, as well as coming across as an intelligent human being whose mind runs at a mile a minute.

Expertly written and crafted, Source Code is extremely fast-paced, yet it also spends a sufficient amount of time on dialogue to explain the science behind the central conceit. 90 minutes of Source Code is neither too long nor too short, and it is easy to find yourself invested in the story and the characters up until the very end. Source Code indeed confirms that Duncan Jones is a real talent to watch, demonstrating that the director has a lot of additional filmmaking muscles he did not have the chance to flex in his debut.

9.5/10

Over the past couple of years, there have been a lot of typical action-science fiction films that have been good fun but nothing special or serious. However, as far as Source Code is concerned, expectations were exceedingly high seeing as it is directed by the same guy who directed Moon and that was an outstanding debut from director Duncan Jones so I already knew that we would see something new from Source Code that we hadn't seen before. Anyway, Source Code certainly delivers everything that a sci fi-thriller should and would show and for that reason, I absolutely loved it! It is full of pretty much everything despite its short 1 hour 34 minutes duration so it is almost the entire package.


Although Source Code does have its complex moments, the task within where the bomber needs to be investigated and goes back in time, it sort of makes us think ''What if we could really do that? What if that could be a possible invention is a few years time and to go back in time to prevent these crimes and solve them?'' and I think that is one of the key moments that I think could possibly become true in the future. Also, it is like if you go back to the past and do the slightest thing, it could change the course of the future completely. To be honest, a lot of people perhaps would disagree but I wouldn't really call Source Code an action film so it is more of a mystery sci fi thriller in my honest opinion but of one or two action segments such as fights, it is great. If there is any comparison that Source Code has with any film, it would have to be a bit like both Groundhog Day (like a science fiction loose version of that) and Final Destination regarding death and fate.


A bomb explodes on a Chicago train, derailing the locomotive and killing hundreds. In an attempt to identify the bomber and prevent another, larger attack on downtown Chicago, Captain Colter Stevens agrees to take part in a clandestine government experiment dubbed "Source Code," which allows him to enter the body of a male passenger during the eight minutes before the man is killed. But during his first trip back, Capt. Stevens fails to gather enough clues to prevent the second attack. With time quickly running out, he repeats the mission ad nauseam in a desperate race to head off one of the most deadly terrorist attacks ever to take place on American soil.


A film with Jake Gyllenhaal in the leading role? I'll be there to see it! He really is a Hollywood star now after his great performances in serious roles (Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko (although I'm not entirely keen on that one), Brother) and ones in entertaining films (Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, The Day After Tomorrow). As for his role in Source Code, his performance was once again great and it is perhaps a performance of both seriousness and entertainment which is probably because of what the film in general is like. Colter Stevens is a decorated army helicopter pilot whose last memory is of his mission in Afghanistan, flying with his team while taking on an enemy gunfire but wakes up on a train heading for Chicago with literally no recollection of how ended up in that predicament so he looks the same but he inadvertently has two identities. Michelle Monaghan is an actress who is perhaps underrated for some of her roles but the films she stars in are overrated. As for her performance in Source Code, I not only thought that she was drop-dead gorgeous in it but she really made Christina like this ordinary young innocent woman who unfortunately ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time.


Vera Farmiga gave a breakthrough appearance as Madolyn in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, a great but underrated performance in The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and most recently in her fantastic Oscar-nominated performance as Alex Goran in Jason Reitman's Up In The Air. As for her role in Source Code, it is the most different compared to anything else she has been involved in but it was still a good performance nevertheless. Jeffrey Wright is another underrated actor who is only perhaps best known for appearing as Felix Leiter in James Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace and I thought he was great in Source Code! However, he didn't quite manage to succeed like Gyllenhaal, Monaghan and Farmiga did in my opinion.


Duncan Jones already made the masterpiece Moon but unfortunately didn't receive very much critical acclaim as he deserved to for making something new which bought back old filmmaking techniques of science fiction films such as Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solyaris. However, as far as Source Code is concerned, despite the fact it is a science fiction film like Moon, Duncan Jones goes somewhere slightly different and makes something that is more of a thriller than an action-science fiction film. Anyway, the filming was simply outstanding with fantastic cinematography, great art direction and brilliant visual effects and make-up. Duncan Jones, you are on a role so keep bringing us more films to enjoy time and time again!


Overall, Source Code is an absolutely amazing film that was just entertainment at its finest from start to finish and for that reason, it is one of the best films of 2011 already. I mean, no, Source Code is no blockbuster but it certainly is a film that I think could possibly be the most entertaining film of 2011 already and is one outstanding film to watch. If there is anything that Source Code has taught us, its taught us that anything can happen at any time; even when you are at your happiest moments and also that you cannot tell who is innocent and who isn't and vice versa especially in a calm and civilised environment. Hopefully there will be a sequel to this and hopefully Duncan Jones will be the director of it if it'll be made. In my opinion, it couldn't have been any better than it turned out to be.

To Read My Review of "Source Code" - awesomebarnhart.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/source-code-2011/

Colter Stevens wakes up on a train, sitting across from a woman he has never met before. She claims to know him, but he has no idea what is happening. He races around the train, looking at himself in the mirror and seeing a different face. After 8 minutes the train explodes, sending Colter back to a capsule in which he is greeted by Colleen Goodwin. She tells him that he inhabits the last 8 minutes of someone else’s existence. She also explains to him that the train exploded early that morning and his job is to find out information to stop a terrorist attack that will be happening later that day.

Colter is left baffled like most people would be. He tries desperately to find the bomber amidst a mass of people. He then tries to alter reality by getting off the train, but each time the train explodes or he is killed. As he goes back and forth from the train to Source Code he retains the info he learned. The more he visits the train, the more he falls for Christina ultimately wishing he could save her, much to the chagrin of Sources Code’s creator and operator Dr. Rutledge.

Source Code is essentially a pulse pounding race to beat the clock and save the city of Chicago from impending doom. Colter Stevens must piece together the mysteries of the train as well as the mystery of Source Code and why everyone on that train must be subjected to death. Gyllenhaal is fantastic in the lead role. He is very good at showing the desperation and confusion of Colter Stevens, as well as making Stevens an interesting lead character, and one that audiences can indentify with. Monaghan does a good job in her simple role as well, Christina has no idea what is happening and Monaghan does a great job of portraying her innocence. The rest of the cast does a good job, Jeffrey Wright as the bitter Dr. Rutledge is a fantastic role. There are many secrets behind Dr. Rutledge it seemed which go way beyond where the story went (or so it seemed anyway, would love to have seen some backstory on this guy). Also I must mention this specifically because many people failed to grab it in my theatre, but it was awesome to see Canadian comedian Russell Peters have a role in this film. He played a very sarcastic stand up comedian and at a later point in the film we get a glimpse of what his humour is all about. Russell is one of the top comedians here in Canada and it was awesome to see him grab some great screen time.

This movie becomes much more then what seemed possible. With pulse pounding action all the way through and twists involving Colter Stevens, it becomes a very honest and engaging thriller from start to finish. You will be amazed by the secret that accompanies Colter Stevens and the reason he is in Source Code to begin with. It added a complexity far beyond what originally Souce Code was all about. For a film that ran at only 1 hr and 34 mins it packs a serious punch and leaves you guessing right up until the end.

It ultimately questions changing fate and dealing with alternate realities. It brings the old adage of time travel back, and that is if you go back in time you must be careful not to alter the events of history.

What was so engaging about Source Code and elevates it beyond the status of other films of the same nature is the inclusion of not just the sci-fi plot line but a love story as well. Colter Stevens falls in love with Christina, but unless he can change the course of history he will only ever have 8 minutes to spend with her. A very interesting plot device is to keep the audience hoping that he can change the fate of the Commuter train heading towards the city of Chicago, not just to prevent a future attack but to save many lives.

Source Code is a very fun movie to watch, certainly better then what I expected. So far Source Code is one of the better releases from 2011 that I have seen.

It's easy to wonder whether or not INCEPTION was an even more influential film than some of us may have expected it to be, with recent 2011 releases like THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU and now SOURCE CODE dabbling so much in the idea of alternate realities/universes. Of course, while INCEPTION was mind-bending and ultimately ambiguous, these two early 2011 releases are happy to inform you exactly what their ideas on the subject are, and both films have a particularly optimistic outlook. I'm happy to report, though, that SOURCE CODE is a better film than THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU. It's nowhere near as ponderous, its script doesn't contain any lines that teeter on the ridiculous, it treats the political realm more intelligently, and its romantic plot is developed subtly enough that we can actually believe it.

Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a military officer who's supposed to be stationed in Afghanistan... except that's not what he's doing when we first see him. He wakes up on a train, completely disoriented, having no idea where he is, and being addressed as "Sean" by this girl he's never seen before, though from the casual way she talks to him, you'd swear that they really do know each other. Before Colter is able to figure anything out about what is happening to him, the train explodes with everyone in it. Suddenly, we see Colter in a capsule of sorts, and he starts communicating through a screen with another military officer, Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who explains what is happening to him. It turns out that the train explosion that Colter was just a part of was an event that actually already happened earlier this morning. Through a "source code" that transcends the time continuum, they've managed to place Colter inside the body of Sean, one of the victims of the explosion. They're doing this because they want Colter to discover who bombed the train, NOT because they want Colter to undo the explosion (as that event is already in the past and cannot be changed), but because they suspect that the same terrorist is going to blow up downtown Chicago. Naturally, it takes a while for Colter to process all of this and to even believe it, let alone start thinking about what strategy to use to discover who the bomber is. With the "source code," Goodwin is able to repeatedly send Colter back into the train for the 8 minutes prior to the explosion, so he can use the time he gets in each attempt to discover the culprit's identity.

One of the most interesting aspects of SOURCE CODE is the fact that, as much as Colter eventually believes in the reality of the mission he is carrying out, he can't help being struck by how vivid what he witnesses on the train is, particularly when he is chatted up by Christina (Michelle Monaghan), the cheery girl who addresses him as Sean. And shock of all shocks, the interactions between these two characters are far from conventional. You'd expect that Christina is Sean's girlfriend, and that that will, of course, up the stakes and become an obstacle for Colter each time he enters the source code, but that's not the case because SOURCE CODE never resorts to easy ways of manipulating its audience. It's a better film than that. It seems that Sean and Christina had more of a quasi-friendship/quasi-flirtatious relationship, which makes the dialogue between these two characters a lot more interesting. Of course, the hindrance for Colter becomes the fact that he's not inhabiting the body of a passenger who's alone on the train, so he has to work his way around Christina as he tries to sniff out who planted the bomb.

The trailer for SOURCE CODE may turn you off because, since it looks like the movie is all about some guy who gets dozens of chances to carry out a task over and over again, you may think that this is one of those movies in which you're constantly watching the same events take place, but that's far from the case. Colter takes on different strategies on each attempt, some of which even involve getting off the train with Christina at times. The film isn't as action-based as you may think. It's more of a sci-fi movie with a mystery element to it (which will make sense to you if you've seen 2009's MOON and you're aware that this film is helmed by the same director). Admittedly, though, the "mystery element" in SOURCE CODE isn't played to much effect. Initially, it looks like the film was gonna be this cool, whodunit thriller in which you're wondering which one of the people sitting on the train is the culprit, but the film isn't really interested in startling revelations like that. It cares more about challenging you to consider what your opinion is on whether or not alternate universes exist, and to marvel at the possibility of transcending the time continuum to change certain events.

This review won't feature any spoilers, but suffice it to say that during the final 20 minutes of SOURCE CODE, the film makes its theory on those complicated subjects VERY clear. There's no room for ambiguity here (like there was in INCEPTION). I don't have a problem with a movie having a firm position on the subject it presents, but my objection here is that the film's final moments are awfully pretty and idyllic. The other issue to be had with the film is that, in an obviously forced attempt to MAKE SURE that we care about our lead character, it inserts the cliche of the strained father-son relationship. The film does such a good job at giving emotional resonance to the plight Colter faces as he struggles to carry out his mission and as he battles with the feelings he starts to have for Christina, that we certainly didn't need this, especially when it's such a conventional plot point that has been used in SO many films that feature "army guys."

Aside from its ideas on parallel universes, SOURCE CODE takes a decent amount of political jabs (at least roughly the same amount that most American films seem to take these days). The film's unique plot makes it easy for it to say an interesting thing or two about the view of soldiers as "disposable" pieces of meat that are used by the government in whatever way it sees fit. To make the criticism even sharper, the film even alludes to the possibility that some entities may view certain tragedies (like the train explosion featured repeatedly on the film) as something HELPFUL, as a stepping stone to further other interests. For its boldness to at least delve into such hot-button subjects, the film certainly deserves credit.

While I don't think the film is confounding in the least bit (in fact, it's pretty straightforward and easy to follow), I AM a little curious as to why its great cast isn't exploited as well as it should've been. Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga have ALL given terrific performances elsewhere (see BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, GONE BABY GONE and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, respectively), yet their performances in SOURCE CODE are merely fine. Gyllenhaal is solid being on-screen during most of the film's running time (though I can't help but remember that he played a soldier before in JARHEAD, and was more impressive there). Monaghan doesn't have much to do except smile at first and then be confused later, while Farmiga's character goes from stern to resolute without making much of an impression.

Though you may not spend hours arguing with your friends (or on IMDB message boards) about SOURCE CODE like you did after watching INCEPTION, the film is definitely interesting in its own right. It may be a lot more mainstream than MOON, but the focus on exploring a controversial, politically "hot" subject through the filter of science fiction works just as effectively here. Rather than being a movie you'll debate with your friends, it may just be the type of movie that you'll debate with yourself, as you wonder all the ways in which your life would be different if you moved back to x point in time and changed something you did, and wonder if maybe there's another "you" out there who is living that other possibility. If a film manages to make me think about ideas like that, and it does so without blowing it all out of proportion, and without resorting to cheap tricks, it's not hard at all to recommend it.