"Son of David Bowie" Duncan Jones makes really great sci-fi films and one of my favorite genres is sci-fi so I really appreciate it. He started out with the super low-budget sci-fi Moon. I liked Moon but one thing bothered me about the movie, the point/twist of the movie was revealed too early in the film. Now Jones is back with Source Code and he delivers the goods once again.
If you have seen the trailer then you know the basic plot. The movie starts with our main character Captain Colter Stevens waking up on the train sitting opposite to a woman who obviously knows him and calls him "Sean" but he doesn't know her, he runs away to the bathroom and he sees in the mirror reflection a completely different man then suddenly the train explodes. We are transported into this weird capsule where he is "briefed" about what's all this about. The movie keeps jumping between these two settings: between the Source Code (I am not going to spoil what it actually is like some professional reviewers or some reviewers here on IMDb) and the reality but that doesn't limit the film in any way. The director manages to keep the movie suspenseful, balanced with amount of "action" scenes and mysteries to keep the audience guessing. Especially after the brilliant opening scene he' s got everyone pulled inside the film and on the edge of their seats, that's where Duncan Jones shows off his skills. The movie bears a lot of resemblance to Twelve Monkeys and Deja Vu (trying to save something/someone repeatedly or prevent something from happening or the hi-tech playing with time) so that doesn't make it completely original idea but I' m glad anyway that Hollywood still has some fresh ideas in the safe.
Jake Gyllenhaal pulls here probably his best performance yet. He is quite charming here, completely believable when he is confused, funny and realistic when he is falling for the girl who he can meet only in the Source Code. He is very sympathetic and he looks great with a gun. Jake Gyllenhaal has grown into one hell of a great actor. Michelle Monaghan is cute and manages to make a great character even with the minimum of screen time. The oddly accented Dr. Rutledge, the creator of the Source Code, played by Jeffrey Wright is the only character who provides the audience with some sort of explanation.
In the end this is a very enjoyable suspenseful sci-fi thriller but with a few flaws so it can't be put alongside classics like Twelve Monkeys or Inception. It's got a great concept but not just so mind bending. I hope this will be a box-office success so Duncan Jones will provide us with another well made movie
