Wouldn't it be nice to take a cherished memory and regenerate it to the point that it becomes tangible? How about resurrecting a mistake or failure in order to rewrite history in your favor? Unfortunately time travel has yet to be mastered, but in the world of Source Code, a machine has been invented that allows a person to relive eight minutes of a buried moment. There are limitations to this seismic contraption, but when a person is utilizing Source Code, they’re actively participating in a moment lost in time. Enter in Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) who awakes on a train with no recollection as to how he even got there. Sitting across from Stevens is the beautiful Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan), a woman who adoringly stares at him. Through awkwardly interacting with Christina and exploring the train he’s on, Stevens comes to realize that he isn’t actually himself. He’s trapped in the body of another man. Upon this discovery a bomb blows up the train and kills everyone on board. That is everyone except Stevens who wakes up in a metallic chamber, locked in an inescapable harness. Discombobulated and confused as to why he’s no longer in the burning train, Stevens frantically tries to shake himself loose from his chains.
Steven’s concern is further magnified when a computer screen reveals Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). Goodwin explains that Stevens was in fact never on the train as himself, but instead, through the program known as Source Code, was transplanted into the body of Sean Fentress, one of the train’s passengers. The train Stevens found himself on was in fact a train that had been destroyed in a terrorist attack earlier in the day. Still left in the dark about the complete power of Source Code, Stevens is resubmitted back into the program. He once again lives through the last eight minutes of Fentress’ life as a means to locate the bomb on the train and identify the bomber. The latter being an important step to stopping a bomb that is destined to detonate later in the day. Numerous times Stevens is killed and resurrected in the life of Fentress via Source Code. In each rebirth he experiences the same details on a macro level, but through his interactions with Christina and scouring the train for the bomber, each venture into Fentress’ final moments are lucid. Breaking down from mental exhaustion and knowing he can’t save the people on the train, continuously watching each of them die, Stevens trudges along. That is until he slowly develops a relationship with Christina and discovers a disheartening secret about his current predicament.
What happens from here on out is a cross between Groundhog’s Day and Vantage Point as we rush back and forth in history, using an eight minute time frame to try and assemble a terroristic puzzle. In lesser hands, Source Code could’ve been too wrapped up in its own concept to give a damn about an emotional pay off. Director Duncan Jones, as demonstrated in his terrific feature debut Moon, knows that a sci-fi concept is shallow without character. Jones’ deft ability to create taut character moments within dramatic action pushes the film to a stratosphere where we don’t need to know the intimate details about Source Code itself, but more so the characters that are exploited by it. Further implementing Jones’ plan of character over concept is Jake Gyllenhaal who gives an undeniably fleshed out performance. Gyllenhaal transforms into action star with heat when he needs to, but his biggest asset is his emotional vulnerability. Whether it’s on the train or within the confines of a suffocating chamber, Gyllenhaal is a charming lead with an emotional core that unravels as the film’s secrets begin to unspool.
Although Gyllenhaal represents the film’s best performance, Michelle Monaghan delivers a noteworthy performance in her own right. Through her genuine and affectionate turn, Monaghan lends the film a sense of credibility when it constantly harkens back to Steven’s desire to not only save the train and it’s assortment of victims, but also Monaghan’s perfect stranger in Christina. As much as I would like to say that Source Code is perfect, it isn’t. The relationship between Stevens and Christina, no matter how well-crafted it is, does force the film’s hand at the end. It’s a bit too perfect and easily achieved, making the film feel somewhat anti-climactic. The score too, which is terrific in most parts, lacks the layers the film’s romance deserves. Of course the ending alone, no matter how safe it is, doesn’t dictate the film’s overall quality. Duncan Jones has proven himself to be a more than competent director with Moon, but with Source Code now under his belt, he has solidified himself as one of the best filmmakers around, especially in the sci-fi genre. His emphasis on character and emotional levity will be traits that push him into the upper echelon of the film world. Those traits have certainly made Source Code one of the best films of this young film year.
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