I didn’t know anything about the narrative of this film when I went to see it, only the fact it was directed by Duncan Jones of Moon fame which instilled me with confidence. There are similarities between Moon and Source Code, themes of repetition, new versions of self, and being replaced, and I can see why Jones was an obvious choice for director. Duncan Jones does a good job of directing a Hollywood action thriller but I was disappointed that this was his follow up to Moon. I would have much rather he directed something with a bit more edge, something he had also written and invested himself into like Moon. That said Source Code is not a bad film and I did enjoy it but I think I was expecting something rather amazing from this new and exciting British director.
There are obvious links to Groundhog Day (1993) as we see Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), a soldier, sent on a mission to find a bomber on a train, he only has eight minutes to find them and if he fails he is sent back again and again to the same eight minutes. I will not try to explain how this is possible, he is essentially being sent back in time to an event that has already happened, but it is not time but rather the last eight minutes of ‘consciousness’ of a dead passenger on the train. Things get increasingly more complicated as we learn the true extent of the situation as Stevens does; we experience the whole thing just as he does. The fractured narrative of Source Code and ‘complicated’ Sci-fi themes bring to mind Memento (2000) and Inception (2010) but there is a much more emotional level to this film, it appears to really try and examine the emotional state of Stevens as he becomes more invested in the mission.
Enclosed space is a recurring motif within the film with most of the action taking place on the train or in a capsule that Stevens experiences the Source Code from. Vera Farmiga is affecting as Goodwin, the Captain who communicates with Stevens when he is in the capsule and Michelle Monaghan is suitably nice as the love interest. The overly sentimental ending could have done with not spelling everything out but it is a stimulating ending that will provoke many a discussion. This is an enjoyable Hollywood sci-fi action film that has more depth than most and great performances from some familiar faces.
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