Source Code

Directed by Duncan Jones, Source Code follows American soldier Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he’s recruited for a new program that will allow him to live out the last eight minutes of another man’s life – with Colter’s first assignment to determine just who placed a deadly explosive aboard a commuter train. It’s an unapologetically off-kilter premise that’s employed to consistently watchable effect by Jones, as the filmmaker, working from Ben Ripley’s screenplay, does an effective job of balancing the Groundhog Day-esque central storyline with the inherently compelling mystery behind Colter’s situation (ie how did he get into that pod and what’s the deal with the folks responsible for the technology?) Gyllenhaal’s incredibly (yet typically) engaging performance plays an instrumental role in heightening the suspense of his character’s perilous situation, and it does become increasingly difficult not to root for Colter’s efforts at both discovering the identity of the bomber and saving the life of his train-bound love interest (Michelle Monaghan’s Christina). The entertainingly slick atmosphere is, as a result, not as problematic as one might’ve feared, although, given the strength of Jones’ debut, Moon, the film’s less-than-memorable feel is admittedly somewhat disappointing (with Chris Bacon’s bland score undoubtedly standing in sharp contrast to Clint Mansell’s stirring, downright indelible contribution to Moon). The needlessly (and almost inexplicably) upbeat conclusion cements Source Code‘s place as an unapologetic crowd-pleaser, which is fine, certainly, but it’s impossible not to have expected something a little more substantial from Jones.

*** out of ****