Source Code

I know that Jake Gyllenhaal is a big movie star, but I always seem to have a hard time remembering more than a couple of films he’s starred in. His latest film, Source Code provides a fresh attempt at being memorable. He plays a soldier who finds himself planted in another man’s body. Then when the train explodes and he doesn’t die, he discovers he is part of a military mission to find the bomber and prevent an even grander disaster from occurring. The movie predictably starts in the middle of things to build tension before the audience gets any answers. But unlike other films of this nature, those answers do come. I almost expected to have to guess at what’s going on because that happens so frequently with movies like Cloverfield.

The majority of the film takes place in two settings. But every return trip to the train and the mission room brings different perspective and a fresh approach, so scenes are rarely repetitive. Writer Ben Ripley is able to effectively predict the mood of the audience with Gyllenhaal’s character. There’s confusion, understanding, frustration and realization all in just over 90 minutes. I can’t help but compare the film to an episode of The Twilight Zone. But Source Code is more complex than that.

While Gyllenhaal plays his part well and is a good choice for the role, I don’t think this will be the one people remember him for down the road. The same goes for Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga who co-star. That’s just a stipulation of stand alone sci-fi thrillers like Source Code. Their shelf life is relatively short. But with this film, that may not be fair. It’s not every week a well written, well acted thriller is released. I can’t say it’s flawless though. What is with Jeffrey Wright’s accent? It sounds like a bad attempt at a JFK impression. But he’s in the James Bond movies so he gets some leeway. (8.5 out of 10)