An Unfinished Movie Script

My expectations weren’t high for Source Code after watching the trailer. It seemed to be nothing more than Groundhog Day meets Déjà vu. As it turns out, not only are there elements borrowed from said films, there is also a bit of Avatar and likely other influences I fail to detect. But if you look past these superficial similarities, Source Code is, at its core, a revisit of themes in director Duncan Jones’ own debut feature, Moon.

Like in Moon whose setting merely serves as a means of isolation for a story that could have taken place anywhere, the mission the protagonist, Captain Colter Stevens, is assigned here is not the main focus. This becomes clear when a crucial plot point is disclosed about one third in. Make no mistake, the course of spotting the bomber does provide most of the tension and occasional fun. Nevertheless, it is Stevens' dire discoveries and what the future holds for him that leads the film into unexpected terrain.

The script is not without problems, though. Scientific terms such as quantum physics and parabolic calculus of no avail are tossed around .Well, at least it doesn’t spend the first half explaining à la Inception – or perhaps it should? Even more confounding is the bomber, who is capable of designing a one-of-a-kind nuclear device, should be so stupid to give a warning and then wait for such a long time till he gets caught. But that’s ok. After all, love conquers all. Except that every time Stevens wakes up on the train, Christina tends to start the same conversation, one that doesn’t exactly add to her appeal. Hard to imagine him falling for her if Christina weren’t brought to life by the beautiful Michelle Monaghan.

Thanks to Duncan Jones, it's easy to overlook these flaws. He keeps things busy and entertaining, adeptly shifting between the scenes of the train, the capsule and the military base. The repeated eight minutes are done with enough variation. Most of all, I like how some clichéd aspects of the material are nicely underplayed. Jake Gyllenhaal finds the right balance for the role, looking confused and serious yet possessing the lightness to deliver the comic lines. The true surprise, however, is Vera Farmiga, who injects her paper-thin character with tenderness and heart.

What's ultimately disappointing is the ending, the real ending, that is. During Stevens' last visit to the train, he uses all the information acquired from before and carefully sets up a happy ending. By the time the eight minutes are up, the frame of the two leads kissing freezes and slowly pans to all the passengers laughing and cheering in silence. To quote Nina Sayers, "It was perfect!" This level of emotional climax is such a rare moment in science fictions, hell, even all genres. Alas, instead of acknowledging the greatness they'd achieved, the filmmakers somehow decided to attach an extra segment that is totally unnecessary. I'll just have to pretend I left the theater where it was supposed to end.