Source Code
Unfortunately it’s been a while since I saw a movie worth reviewing. Not that I watched only crappy flicks the last couple of months, I actually watched shit. Shit as in nothing, not crap.
But tonight I had to watch, free coupon, only valid today. Limited choice, and I ended up choosing between Source Code and Sucker Punch. Actually, I am quite curious about Sucker Punch as well. You know, a Zack Snyder piece. Love him or hate him. I adored 300 and kinda loved Watchman as well. His style is just interesting. Out of the ordinary, heavily saturated, unreal, yet he creates a world you’ll easily become part of. At least, I am, but I can imagine it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.
Then there was Source Code. Jake Gyllenhaal, big asset. I guess I’m hooked since Donnie Darko, he can’t seem to do anything wrong. But I saw and advert of this movie on a bus! If it’s advertised on a bus it can’t be any good right, or can it? Then I discovered the movie was directed by Duncan Jones, you know Bowie’s kid who really impressed me with Moon. So I decided to give it a fair shot and forget about the bus.
Without giving too much away, the movie is about a situation that repeats itself. There’s a bom on a train, and because of some technical quantum mambo jambo they succeed in sending someone back in time to find out what actually happend. They need to find the bomber, because the train is only the beginning. Next bomb will be nuclear and hit Chicago full force.
So yes, this keeps on repeating, sending him back and forth. Different choices are made with different results, only to discover the bomber in the end and prevent the nuclear attack. You could’ve guessed that right? That’s not what makes the movie interesting. What does is the discovering of the mission, and the way the main character reacts on that. And most interesting is when everything is set .. the hero doesn’t feel like one because he feels he failed in saving the people in this different reality that already ceased to exist. He wants to go back, save them all, even if there’s no use. It’s interesting because after 2 movies, we start to see Duncan Jones theme here. Obviously he’s obsessed with the notion of reality versus consciousness versus valuation of life. He played with these subjects in Moon, and he does it again here.
I liked the movie, recommend viewing it. Forget about the technical details, you don’t need to understand them and they don’t make sense anyway. People compare it to The Matrix, and yes it compares to The Matrix a Fiat compares to a Ferrari: there’s a correlation, but it’s weak, it’s an other game, other accents. In The Matrix you need to understand the mechanics, it’s about the mechanics. Here the mechanics are a necessary evil. You’ll buy it because it’s needed for the story.
Anyway, he got Gyllenhaal and a decent production budget so it seems .. I think Duncan Jones is heading in the right direction. Curious to see what this guy might bring us next, when he’s getting acces to a-list resources. Bring it on!
Oh, here’s the trailer. Nice style.
