Cinema - Source Code

or: Eight minutes.

One word to sum it up: "Trippy"

Duncan Jones burst onto the film scene in 2009 with his brilliant sci-fi debut, Moon. I was quite impressed with his first directorial effort...it was much better than I expected from someone who has never handled a feature film before. Of course, after that, Duncan Jones had some pretty big expectations to live up to. So what better to do than make a complicated 'blockbuster' type film starring a lovely Jake Gyllenhaal that causes one to look at the fine line between reality and something out of this world? I gotta be the one to say it: Duncan Jones has the potential to be one of the finest modern movie-makers with his effort in Source Code. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

Source Code begins with a train. Just a normal train, making it's way through Chicago as normal. On the train we discover a man who has just woken up, a little bit disoriented and not really sure about what is happening. This man believes he is Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), who flew planes in Afghanistan. But he thinks something is up when a mysterious woman named Christina (Michelle Monaghan) begins talking to him like she's known him his whole life. He goes to a mirror and discovers that he doesn't look at all like he thought he did, and he is actually known as Sean Fentress. Before he can make sense of what is happening, the train blows up. He wakes up in a 'capsule', with another mysterious woman, Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) talking to him through a webcam. Colter finds out that he is actually part of a 'source code', which allows him to go into another mans body in the last eight minutes of his life. The purpose of this? Colter may be able to find the person who bombed the train he was on and prevent that person from doing another attack. But as Colter returns to the train over and over again, he realises that he doesn't just want to find the bomber, he wants to save the people on the train, which he is told isn't possible.

You'd think that having to relive essentially the same eight minutes over and over again would get boring. No, that's not the case here. Yes, the setting gets familiar, but it never gets boring. That is the first reason why Be Ripley's script rocks. Here he has created something quite elaborate, but hasn't really left many plot holes. In saying that, he also didn't get too caught up in trying to explain things all in one go...we learn as Colter learns. In fact, we go through this movie as if we were Colter. Which is a cool experience, because I felt, to a degree, that I was a part of the source code thing too, and that was fun. The story is puzzling and challenging, always keeping the audience on their toes while still having a good time. There's never really a dull moment. I do admit to laughing quite a few times and even bawling my eyes out crying towards the end. But once the big plot twist was revealed, I felt like I was bolted to the screen, suddenly ready for another whirl. It's a short and snappy film, but my God, I could have taken some more. The way Duncan Jones ties everything up is nice too. He had a really good way of directing this, using some really good editing and small symbols throughout the film for the audience to piece together.

Another reason why this film works so well is the fact that it is a fantastic human drama. Sure, having the little romance between Colter/Sean and Christina helped with that a lot, this film really does question a lot of things. It capitalizes on those minutes before everyone dies. Yet, it still asks the viewer what they would do if they were in Colter's situation. Would you try and defy this 'source code' thing so you could save everyone? Since you know what is going to happen, would you try and change it? And there's the ever-present one: Does everything come down to fate? I'm sure that there are little source code's going on around the world...and I'm now taking extra precautions to ensure that I know that everything just comes the way it is...not because I'm stuck in a source code.

Performance-wise, this movie is very strong. The main cast is very small, but I've gotta hand it to everyone on the train. They stayed on there, with all their different personalities, throughout the whole thing, and managed to hold their characters. Anyway. Jake Gyllenhaal leads the show with his multi-faceted performance. He was compelling, and really provided the movie with the heart it needed in order to succeed. He was a lovable figure, someone I really rooted for in the end, and most of the success of the movie comes down to him, so he did a fantastic job. Michelle Monaghan, though she has starred in a slew of uninspiring films, continues to impress me. She was a cute love interest here, and shows that she is a more capable than most people give her credit for. Jeffrey Wright surprised me with his performance, as he obviously based quite a bit of his performance on the 'mad scientist' myth. He had all of the mannerisms and everything right. But of course, I have to dedicate a small part of this review to the glorious Vera Farmiga. Oh, how I've missed her since Up in the Air. While most of her role is restricted to sitting in front of a computer talking to a webcam, she serves as a great link between Colter and reality. She provides another part of the human touch which went really well in this movie. That human touch which leads me to give this movie a full quota of stars...risky choice, I know, but this movie was damn impressive.

THE VERDICT: A puzzling, complicated premise sprawled out over fantastic script-work from Ben Ripley ensures that Source Code is not only an entertaining blockbuster, but it is a great human drama. Duncan Jones does a marvellous job of directing a really well-performed, exciting thriller.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Top 10 movies I really want to see this year.

You may be expecting a list filled with the best 2011 as a year has to offer. Alas, that is not the case. Most of these movies are ones you probably saw last year, but I'll only be getting to see this year (when they come out on DVD, no less, because I'm so youthful), since New Zealand sucks.

10. Source Code

Expected NZ release date: Undated.

While I didn't entirely get the premise from the trailer (probably a good thing), I am really looking forward to seeing the next movie from Moon director Duncan Jones. The fact that it also stars the lovely Vera Farmiga (notably missing last year compared to her busy year before) has got my ticket already booked. And it should be nice to see Jake Gyllenhaal not being a beefcake prince or a viagra salesman...just back to what he does best, being a hero.

9. The Fighter

Expected NZ release date: January 20

If only this film had been released sometime after August this year, then I would have been able to go and see it no sweat. But nooooooo, gotta wait for it to be on DVD, which, at earliest, is May. I have to wait that long to see the best performed film of the year? Don't even tell me how great Christian Bale is. I might just cry.

8. Friends with Benefits



Expected NZ release date: October 13
"What?!" I hear you cry. Hey, this list is filled with awards bait and thrillers, so why can't I have a romantic comedy in there? Friends with Benefits looks like the best of the lot (not to be confused with Natalie Portman's No Strings Attached). Mila Kunis and Justin 'I'm an actor now' Timberlake take the lead role in Easy A helmer Will Gluck's latest, which also stars Emma Stone, Patricia Clarkson and Woody Harrelson. See? Can't be too bad.

7. The Adjustment Bureau

Expected NZ release date: March 3

Hey wait, wasn't this movie supposed to come out last year? Hopefully this movie is good, because God knows Emily Blunt needs it, after last years releases (The Wolfman, Wild Target, Gulliver's Travels). If it's based on a Phillip K. Dick story and has Matt Damon in the lead role, it's sure to work, right? I don't know, but I want THE EMILY BLUNT back!

6. The Tree of Life 

Expected NZ release date: Undated.

Is there another film coming out this year that's more exciting? No. Everyone with a filmic bone in their body wants to see this.

5. 127 Hours

Expected NZ release date: February 10

Bloody Danny Boyle choosing that funky music to go with his trailer filled with awesome visuals getting me excited for this one. And then, of course, since a man chops his arm off, the censors get afraid that I might follow suit after watching this movie because I'm so young, and they slap an R16 on it. So that's a June watch for me, then? I love you until then, James Franco...

4. Hanna

Expected NZ release date: June 14

Those comparisons between this and Kick-Ass' Hit-girl are incredibly lazy. Yes, there is a young girl killing machine (played by the always amazing Saoirse Ronan) who is smarter than the average bear, but that's about as far as it goes. Eric Bana comes back to our screens as a non time traveller, and Cate Blanchett also comes along for the ride. If she's there, I'm there. Plus it's directed by Joe Wright, who has most notably dabbled in period romance (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement), so this should be an interesting move.

3. Never Let Me Go

Expected NZ release date: March 17

Never Let Me Go might send me on a journey to the most expensive arthouse-esque cinema nearby for the first time in my life, mainly because I've waited so bloody long to see this movie come out. Yeah, Carey Mulligan and the noticably absent Keira Knightley are in it, but you know the real reason I want to see this. ANDREW GARFIELD. ANDREW GARFIELD. ANDREW GARFIELD. Okay, the story sounds scary enough, plus it's written by Alex Garland, so I'm in. But ANDREW GARFIELD is in it!

2. Black Swan

Expected NZ release date: January 27

Again, won't be seeing this in it's theatrical release, you know why. Damn, I've wanted to see this ever since the first trailer came out way back in August. Now Natalie Portman's getting all this Oscar buzz, I wanna see it more. Me and psychological thrillers usually go hand in hand, so this is really a no brainer.

1. Sucker Punch

Expected NZ release date: March 24

Yeah, I'm pretty sure guys are the only ones who are supposed to be uber-excited about this as it has all those hot chicks with machine guns. But I'm geeking out already for this one, mainly because I love Zack Snyder's work and he explained this as having 'multi levels of reality'. Inception, anyone? I'm hoping to God that this isn't a flop, because the trailers (with all their slow-mo and uber-awesomeness) make it look so cool! Come on Zack Snyder, you can do it!

What are you most looking forward to seeing in the coming year? Comment below!