After making a fantastic debut in 2009 with Moon, winning himself a BAFTA for an Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer, all eyes were on Duncan Jones to see how he would fare with his follow-up project. Source Code does not disappoint.

There are few young British directors working at the moment that I think are showing both current excellence and incredible promise for the future, and Jones is certainly one of them. His debut was by far one of the best I’ve seen in years, and this second film confirms that his talents are not to be underestimated; his creative vision is a force to be reckoned with.

Source Code’s basic premise is arguably nothing groundbreaking, and similar territory has been covered in cinema by the sci-fi genre in years previous. But to me, a film doesn’t necessarily have to be groundbreaking to be worthwhile. If the genre is yet to produce a perfect representation of that story, then all the more reason for writers to try and devise it. And I think Source Code is as close to that perfection as I’ve ever seen.

At the film’s outset, Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Captain Colter Stevens, awakes on a train bound for Chicago in a body that he soon realises is not his, opposite a woman he does not recognise who calls him Sean and talks to him as if they are friends. Minutes later, just as this woman tells him that everything is going to be okay, we get the first of many brilliantly shot explosions that shoots down the train, engulfing everything in its path.

It is here that we get to see the second world of the film, outside of the Source Code. Captain Stevens is rocketed back into a darkened capsule, where he finds a woman on a screen in front of him in a military uniform. It is she, Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who briefs him on his mission and tells him about the Source Code. The technology has been developed to allow a person to experience the last eight minutes of another person’s life, and to exist in their reality for those eight minutes. Goodwin tells Stevens that a bomb is on the train, and it is his mission to identify the bomber; a second wave of attacks is imminent, and he is their only hope at stopping them.

She sends him back, into the Source Code, and he awakes at the same moment we first meet him, with the same minute details repeating before – a spilt cup of coffee, a can being opened, the woman opposite him, Christina (Michelle Monaghan), talking to him – but everything is a little bit different each time he goes back. Every time he goes back, he struggles to find anything useful, returning to the capsule with just a sliver of new information following the bomb’s repeated detonations.

With the nature of these kinds of sci-fi films, where time is re-lived again and again, it is difficult to go into significant detail about the film without delving into spoiler territory, and so I will stop myself here from further discussions of the plot. I know there will be many out there who missed Source Code at the cinema and would like to see it for the first time now, and I would hate to spoil your enjoyment of the film in any way.

The danger of such a premise as Source Code’s is of course that it will soon begin to feel repetitive. The same eight minutes re-lived again and again is of course a pitfall for any story to become uninteresting for its reader or viewer. But Jones and writer Ben Ripley seem to avoid this problem with ease; not once in every repeated journey in and out of the Source Code does repetition ever feel evident to the viewer, nor does it feel stressed to do things differently. Jones’ direction is remarkable in being able to ensure that the story is kept alive and enthralling throughout.

And supporting Jones is a fantastic cast. Gyllenhaal’s career is one that I have always thought has been exceptional. I first saw him, like most, in Donnie Darko ten years ago, and his subsequent roles in films like The Good Girl, Brokeback Mountain, Proof (a little-known but brilliant film), Jarhead, Zodiac, and Love And Other Drugs at the start of this year have proven what a terrific actor he is. Source Code is yet another role that he performs outstandingly.

Similarly, Michelle Monaghan shines in her role. The love interest in a film like this could easily have been underwhelming, but the chemistry between Monaghan and Gyllenhaal is very believable. After finding some success in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang opposite Robert Downey, Jr. and Gone Baby Gone opposite Casey Affleck, Monaghan seems to be cementing her worth in this film just as Jones does, proving that she too is a rising star.

I think one of the things I loved most about this film was its attention to detail. When you re-live just eight minutes over a period of a ninety-minute film, you have to pay attention to the details to keep your audience engrossed, and Jones and Ripley have done just that. And if you have the capabilities to watch this film on Blu-Ray, I highly recommend you do just that, because the visual quality is so impressive; high definition was made to show off a film like this, letting you appreciate all its tiny details.

Perhaps the most interesting motif that recurs throughout is the simple phrase, ‘Everything is going to be okay.’ I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I thought its appearance through the film was perfect. At times said in ignorance, in honesty, in fear, in desperation, those few little words come back just enough to be memorable without being repetitive, and just like the characters in and out of the Source Code, we can never know whether or not the words will prove true.

What can be said with certainty, however, is that Jones is a director here to stay. Source Code is an immense second film from him that shows there is much talent that British directors have to offer, and with Jones currently at work writing his third film, I’m already excited to see what he’ll bring to the big screen next. You can be sure that it’s going to be something incredible.

Film: [Rating:4.5/5]

Special Features

Reviewed by Jon Lyus

I reviewed Source Code on its theatrical release and spoke to Duncan Jones soon afterwards and while the answers he gave on my own specific problems with the film were considered and convincing I wanted to hear how he would approach the commentary track knowing that there is much to talk about, and much explaining to do. Very mild spoilers from here on in.

The commentary track, featuring Jones with writer Ben Ripley and Jake Gyllenhaal, has a lot to enjoy if you’re a hardened sci-fi fan interested in the background and influences on the time-shift device but there’s a far more interesting story of how the film came about, the decisions made during (and after) the filming and on the consequences of the ending. Jones reveals that he had two endings (neither of them the one I expected) and how the litany of doomed relationships continues far beyond the closing credits.

From the technical aspects of filming on the Red camera and the light sourcing in the pod, and the discussion of the budget (which was relatively low, but it certainly doesn’t look like it) to the challenges encumbered at the scene when the bomber is revealed, and how it’s really the first time the film actually stops. Jones’s take on his way of filming is very interesting; the director is a safety net or sorts, which fosters a tone of improvisation on the set, and how much of the film’s tone and direction was chosen in editing suite.  The discussion of the ending is present of course and Jones and Ripley explain their thoughts behind it and this is one example of the interesting mode of collaboration between the two and how Jones brought the film to life from the written word.

This commentary is the real highlight. The other extras are listed below and there are some excellently designed small featurettes explaining the science behind it – think Aubrey Beardsley designing pages of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and you’re nearly there. The usual ‘it was great to work with’ moments are there as is an option to watch the film with pop ups on screen to allow you to flow off at a tangent which I can never understand.

Highly recommended, in all arenas.

  • Audio commentary with Jake Gyllenhaal, director Duncan Jones and writer Ben Ripley
  • Cast and Crew insights
  • Access Source Code featurette
  • Focal Points

Features: [Rating:3.5/5]