It All Started With A Silly Soundtrack...

That was one of the only things wrong in this near-perfect movie.

Source Code is the first movie to hold my absolute attention for so long since Shutter Island. It felt long, but I didn’t care. (Actually, it turns out the movie was only an hour and a half long, and I missed the previews. Probably an effect of our “give-it-to-me-quick-fast-and-in-a-hurry” generation).

Anyway, the movie starred Jake Gyllenhaal as Captain Colter Stevens, a soldier who has been assigned to find a bomb and a bomber aboard a train. The catch is, he only has eight minutes to find it. Every time he fails the assignment, he is sent back in time until he completes the job. Gyllenhaal gives an excellent performance.

The film captures some beautiful, unconventional shots of Chicago, both downtown and outside of the city. The filmmakers also did some creative upside down and sideways shots that captured the dizziness and confusion Stevens was experiencing between his time aboard the train and in the mysterious vestibule he repeatedly transports back to every eight minutes.

Though slow at times, the kind of slow that occurs when filmmakers want to avoid giving away too much information at once, the movie picks up and continues to stay intriguing for the most part. There is one part where the audience is blatantly told what’s going on, and I thought the creators could have put a little more thought into letting the viewers find out for themselves.

I felt slightly detached from all the characters except Stevens, which I felt was appropriate and well done for this type of movie, as Stevens also experienced detachment. The lack of development of the flatter characters allowed me to better relate to Stevens and to better understand the desperation he felt. I felt sorry for him, almost wanting to cry at a few points, I admit. Again, Gyllenhaal gave a great performance.

Of course, Stevens meets a woman that he falls for aboard the train, and her name is Christine Warren. I thought they made an adorable couple, but there is a mysterious aspect of the relationship that makes me a little bit uncomfortable. I’m really not sure what to think about it, but probably because I’m a journalism student and ethics is a big part of the way I handle situations.

Whoever wrote this film was a genius. There were cool effects, it was intriguing and suspenseful and mysterious. You feel the pressure whenever Stevens is sent back into the past. There are cool twists and turns, and overall, it was satisfying. Kind of like a mix of Déjà Vu and Inception, I guess. I don’t know, that’s what it reminded me of. But better. 

Sorry this is so vague. It’s one of those movies where, if I talk too much, I’ll give too much of the movie away. Go see it, and then we can chat about it through email (thegarbagequilt@gmail.com), on my Facebook page, or on Twitter (@garbagequilt). Let me know how you felt about it! <3