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Sunday, May 1, 2011

[8.50/10] Source Code (2011)


Source Code (2011)

Brief review: Much to my surprise, I was slightly disappointed by Duncan Jones' debut feature "Moon", as I found it truly original, yet monotonous and rather boring. Therefore, I didn't know what to expect from his latest film, called "Source Code". What I got was a unique and stylishly-crafted sci-fi thriller with a brain. Something more than that - "Source Code" is unpredictable, tense, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking and incredibly compelling film that impresses not only with its original concept, but also with its mind-bending narrative, brilliantly-precise execution, and Gyllenhaal's exceptional performance. Despite its complicated plot, the film never gets confusing or overdone, thanks to Jones' smart and creative choices behind the camera, and Hirsch's masterful editing. The '8 minute fragments' never feels repetitive, dull or tiresome - each next scene is tauter than the previous, and the film gets more and more intriguing and exciting as the story progresses, offering many twists and turns along the way. Jake Gyllenhaal is probably this film's biggest asset - he fully inhabits his character, delivering one of the most complex performances of his career as the charismatic and bold, yet confused soldier, Colter Stevens.

Overall summary: Thanks to its unique premise, clever plot structure, flawless execution, and Gyllenhaal's top-notch performance, "Source Code" easily ranks as one of the most accomplished and skillfully-crafted sci-fi films of the 00's, and also one of the best films of the year so far.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

I am quite intrigued by this film. Unfortunately it is out of theaters around here. Maybe I can catch it at a bargain house. Otherwise I'll have to wait for DVD.

I love this idea of being sent back for 8 minute increments. It's not a lot of time and yet, it is. Terrific review, I love your descriptor..."mind-bending narrative." Makes me wish I had seen the movie when it first came out.

Hope you had a great weekend, sweetie. I will respond to your email tonight, I swear. :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, I was planning to see it 3 weeks ago, but I didn't manage to do it, so I finally saw it last Thursday. Believe me, hon, it was intriguing from the first to the last minute.. do gripping I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen.

The idea was brilliant and so was the execution - I loved it.

Ah, thanks.. the narrative was mind-bending indeed ;)

Well, I had an okay weekend, nothing special happened, but I enjoyed it nonetheless :)
No worries, sweetheart. I'm a patient person :)

FilmMattic said...

Excellent review Nebular!

I'm glad you enjoyed it just as much as I did! And I agree, it was one of Gyllenhaal's better performances because his role was so different and demanding, requiring a more nuanced portrayal.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

WOW, and comes from Mr. Excellence himself? I'm flattered, Matty ;)

Oh, I did. Definitely. Jake blew me away - I bet he took that performance as a challenge.. and it paid off. He was magnificent in this one.

Matt S. said...

I loved this one as well, and would give it an 8/10. Gyllenhaal was such a surprise, and Duncan Jones looks like he may be a great director. If you ask me, the future of cinema looks very bright. Great review, and nice blog!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Glad you liked it, Matt :) I expected Gyllenhaal to be good, but not that good. Jones surprised me - he did such a phenomenal job behind the camera. H deserves kudos for that. Thanks, I loved your blog too, and also became a follower :)

Maynard Morrissey said...

I was also quite disappointed by 'Moon', nevertheless I'm totally pumped for Source Code since I saw the awesome trailer

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Maynard, "Moon" bored me to death, though it has its strengths. SC on the other hand was everything but boring. I was engaged from the first to the last minute.

Ty said...

Agreed. Source Code was an engrossing film.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Knew you'd like this one! I really had no idea what to expect either. The trailer really doesn't do the movie justice. And it was incredibly intelligent. Shame it won't make a lot of money at the box office.
And Fast Five? Awesome! Best of the series. Someone described it as "Ocean's Fourteen" and that really fits.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Ty, I was thoroughly entertained, too. Definitely one of the best movies of 2011 so far.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Yeah, I did! :) I was impressed how clever it was. Unfortunately most of the 'smart' movies don't make a lot of money at the box office.
"Ocean's Fourteen" you say? Hm, that sounds interesting.. ;)