Film Reviews

Source Code
Directed by: Duncan Jones.
Starring : Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan

Within two minutes of the film’s prologue, I pushed the pause button. I already suspected I was in for 100 minutes of extreme escapism, and popcorn, drinks and chocolate were obligatory to make this two hours of pure sci-fi action indulgence.
Sci-Fi doesn’t come far better than this, if you remember viewing Samuel Beckett shift through time in Quantum leap during the early nineties, then this is a flick for you.
If you also thought that Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day was unadulterated genius, you’re in pure paradise, and Source Code will not fail to thrill.
Captain Colter Stevens (Played by Jake Gyllenhaal of Brokeback Mountain fame), wakes up bemused and confused on a train, sitting opposite him is pretty Christina, (Michelle Monaghan) mid flow in conversation. It soon becomes clear that he has no clue how he got there, and no conception of who this flirty woman is. Christina picks up on his agitation, not least because he tells her, “I know you think you know me but you don’t, my name is Captain Colter Stevens, I’m a helicopter pilot for the US army working in Afghanistan”.
As he proceeds to leave, she calls his name, yet it doesn’t begin with Captain, his name is simply Sean.
Cue a very confused Jake composing himself in the bathroom, yet as he reaches the mirror, there is a completely different face staring back at him.
(There are no spoilers here, please do not worry about reading on, this is two minutes in, popcorn time!)
After eight minutes of a very confused Captain dashing around a train in another’s body, the train explodes, yet he doesn’t perish with the passengers, he is transported back to a claustrophobic capsule where questions are fired at him as to who planted the bomb.
The film is set as such, that he must relive these eight minutes until he unearths the terrorist responsible. If you loathed Groundhog Day for the repetition do not let it put you off this film. This is a genuine action thriller at its best. Bill Murray drifted through Groundhog Day with a puerile pout and limitless time to sharpen his skills, whereas for the passengers of this Chicago train, time is rapidly running out.
It seems Duncan Jones has scored another hit and is swiftly becoming one of our preferred directors. Although I found Moon quite unemotional and aloof, Jake Gyllenhal brings his gift for anxiety acting to the fore here and adds depth and panic to the film. Duncan took a gamble when making his debut movie, and although thought provoking and inspirational, Moon did seem to me a little prolonged and drawn out. However, in Source Code he has picked up the pace perfectly, showing that action movies can sweep us off our feet with SFX whilst still being intelligent enough to keep us guessing right up until the credits roll.
There are so many twists and turns at such a fast pace that writer Ben Ripley must be commended.
So, if the nights are drawing in a little, and you need to unwind with a log fire and a box of chocolates, pick up a copy now, and roll on autumn!
Marks out of ten – 9.5!
Source Code is now available to buy on DVD and Blue Ray, and to rent on Sky Box Office.