As my friend Samir said, "After watching this movie I have started wondering whether I am really real"
It started with 'Quantum leap' in the 90's then Matrix, Inception and now 'Source Code'...Hollywood directors are proving a point stated by the Hindu Mythology with increasing conviction.
Every movie once clearly fell into one genre. Today, as writers and directors push harder, we have mixed-genres movies. "Source Code" is an example that is a romance, sci-fi, action and thriller in equal measure. And it is one that works delightfully.
When deciding whether to watch ‘Source Code’, it’s a good idea to ask yourself if you’re a fan of Inception or Groundhog Day; this is a similar kind of tense, intelligent film in the sci-fi space. If the answer to the question is yes, chances are you’ll enjoy this complex but fast-paced science-fiction thriller that combines the best bits of both those brilliant films.
At the face of it, the film takes its source code from a host of other movies and series, most obviously "Groundhog Day" to "Deja Vu" to the TV series "Quantum Leap" and every time-travel movie you have seen.
And that is obvious since the film also picks up generous servings from other films like "Tron", "Matrix", "Minority Report", among others. Yet, where it succeeds is in not looking like any one of these films. Despite many sources, "Source Code" has a code of its own.
The film handles its different genres well. Yet, at its source, it's a love story which till the end makes no sense . The sci-fi and thriller bit is more like a sugar coating on an already very sweet pill.
For a film about time, a director's grasp of this dimension is key to its success. And it is to director Duncan Jones' credit, who has earlier given the brilliant but underrated "Moon", that he handles key moments extremely well. He has a mastery of both mystery and cinematic time - speeding it up and slowing it down as the audiences watch the film at his mercy.
The script by debutant Ben Ripley is brilliant in its handling of various mysteries. Thus while our protagonist is busy figuring out the bomber, the audience is busy figuring who he is. Not sagging even for a moment in its 93-minute duration, "Source Code" is an achievement of a writer and his director working in perfect harmony.
There are, however, a few discrepancies in the logic of its sci-fi bits. If the explosion blew up all the passengers, you wonder where the brains to tap into them to recreate the last eight minutes were found. Also the logic given by the bomber is extremely simplistic.
Also to some extent the repetitiveness of the scenes which although forms the crux of the plot gets a bit irritating.
The ending and the creation of a universe might also jar for a few audiences. However, enough foreshadowing of it is done earlier in the film when Colters is shown connecting to the world outside the train compartment in his stipulated eight minutes, especially to connect with his father's image inside the source code. Yet, even if you consider them aberrations, they are minor ones in an otherwise stellar effort.
