an intelligent and interesting movie...though my expectations were much higher...

Rating: 7/10 (15 June 2011)

Duncan Jones' sophomore directorial effort after the sublime Moon further proves he has a knack for intelligent, emotion-filled sci-fi's. Source Code is one of those movies which make you think and really make you realize that unlike some filmmakers there are some intelligent and creative brains out there who still believe in quality cinema. In a nutshell, the movie is a Sci-Fi action thriller and is brilliantly shot. I said brilliant because of three reasons:-
1.The way of storytelling. 2.The visibility of the scenes, dialogs and the overall script. 3.The quality of the direction.
The technical aspects of the movie are not too hard to understand and you are always captivated and captured by the somewhat volatile happenings. The action in the movie is first-rate and does provide the buzz expected of an action thriller.
Here you follow the main character. When the movie starts, you know just as much of what's going on as our main character does: Nothing. The movie starts out with a man (Jake Gyllenhaal) waking on a train not knowing where he is. The girl in front of him is Christina (Michelle Monaghan) and she thinks she knows him, even when he insists that he is actually an army pilot named Colter. Going into the bathroom he checks his appearance and sees that he has someone else's face. When the train explodes Colter awakens inside a freezing cold container. He's addressed on a computer screen by Colleen (Vera Farmiga), a military captain who explains that he is part of a program called Source Code. It's administered by Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) and allows a person to inject themselves into someone else's body to relive the last eight minutes of their life. It is said not to affect the past but to address the future. As such, Colter's mission is to go back in time and find out who has placed a bomb on the train so that the bomber can be identified and stopped from setting off a second explosive in the city.
The Story reveals itself in a rapid pace from the beginning to the end. It is a thriller that values its heart and its mind more than velocity or adrenaline. Working in the action genre, it's a more accessible film than Duncan Jones' leisurely paced sci-fi debut Moon. But with a solid screenplay from Ben Ripley the depth and the intelligence have not been forgotten. This is a highly economical film, working in just a few locations and moving vigorously over its lean ninety minutes. Jones is concerned foremost about the misuse of technology but equally the paranoia that terrorism imposes on ordinary people: an intelligent and timely theme, which surprisingly gives way to brief moments of humour. The human responses from the passengers as Colter interrogates them, turning their bags inside out, are quietly funny. Even more fascinating is the way the film touches on how racial assumptions are born from paranoia, like when Colter stalks a man of Indian appearance. These are issues visualised with intensity and originality. There are a couple scenes of gorgeously shot, tear-jerkingly beautiful brilliance. That, and the cinematography is worth noting- It is very slick and tone- setting.
The acting is fantastic by everybody. Gyllenhaal is in this movie for nearly every frame and he's great in every scene. He proves he can stand his ground as a lead in an action feature. He succeeds in this role, where other actors may have failed. Gyllenhaal had the perfect persona for this role. He's got a forceful attitude with a sympathetic face. Michelle Monaghan has this innocent charm with her character. Vera Farmiga and the very underrated Jeffrey Wright give very interesting and complex performances as well.
Despite all the positive comments above, I was a bit disappointed. The movie, performances, cinematography, script everything is great. It's just, I had a enormously huge expectation from this, which was a mistake. I wanted to feel the same way when I felt after watching Inception, which did not happen.
I give it 7 for being a deeply enjoyable experience, although it should be noted that considering what was said above, it isn't revolutionary.