Jake Gyllenhaal Finds the Source Code

[Octoberist]

I just saw it - yes it's the first great movie of the year. Well directed, it's tight and surprisingly emotional.

 

[Octoberist]

Source Code was pretty awesome, I think it used its premise well. You could say its predictable to some degree, but at the same I think it did a pretty good job at mixing it up. At first I wasnt digging the ending but in the very end it pull it off pretty well, I still have my problems with it somewhat but it didn't really hinder my movie at all.

There was one instance where, without anything really being funny, both my friend and I started laughing, for which we garnered many awkward looks from the people around us. Basically it amounts to us being horrible people, or really sick senses of humor.

Was it

Spoiler

the long shot of Jake. He was making a face (like he's not believing what he's hearing) but it goes on for too long?

It was kinda funny but it didn't ruin the movie.

 

[Paradoxium]

Am going crazy here but:

Spoiler

Coulter's vegetative half blown up body in the box (half of his brain being revealed) - the one that gets the plugged pulled by Goodwin - was a different actor/model/person. At the end of the film, it was Gyllenhaal's body

 

[redhawk23]

Was it

Spoiler

the long shot of Jake. He was making a face (like he's not believing what he's hearing) but it goes on for too long?

It was kinda funny but it didn't ruin the movie.

Spoiler

Nah, it was like the 2nd or third time the train blows up. I guess by that time we were just kind of thinking "it isnt real." I cant remember if he gets cut off mid sentence or what but both myself and friend could not help ourselves from laughing. then the end of the movie revealed that they were infact altering reality; the more we thought about it the more we felt like horrible people, but then again, its all fiction anyways.


While I'm mid-spoiler tag I'd like to voice my opnion on the ending. I thought it was pretty cool how it ended up changing the real reality. Everyone was saved....except for the guy whose life Coulter took over. And whats Coulter going to do now? just live out this guys life, not knowning anything about the guys past, his family, or how to be a teacher? To a certain degree I think Coulter actually knows this, he just isnt letting it bother him. I think its why he just wants to savor that perfect moment in Millineum Park.

 

[Donut]

This movie was fantastic

 

[Vapor]

I saw it last night and really enjoyed it. And I really enjoyed Moon so I'm looking forward to what Duncan does next. Hopefully he can get Mute off the ground.

As people have already said it's good, the originality he is injecting back into sci-fi and I like that Duncan is doing fairly high-concept ideas but is keeping it all in check and not going over the top and blockbustery. The slo-mo explosion about half way through was mint! Well directed and well acted by Jake, it's a solid 4/5.

I don't know if the ending is suppose to be one of those ambiguous ones or if I missed something or i'm just not getting it but the ending had me and my mate thinking "what?!" - it just didn't seem to make much sense...

Spoiler

'Cos all the way through the film we're told it's not time travel, that it's more of an alternate reality and the future can't be changed from going back to the 8 minutes. Which makes sense 'cos as source code is explained, all Jake is essentially doing is just re-living Seans last 8 minutes of life.

So how is Colters mind still in Seans body when, having actually changed events (which we're told he can't do) the Source Code doesn't go ahead and he's still there in a vegetative state in the box. Unless, the scenes of Colter still 'living' in Sean are still apart of the alternate reality but in that case, how could his email to Goodwyn get through to her?

Unless they were lying to him and it was possible to change things through the Source Code, I mean, he does say in the email it works better than they thought... but how can he be both in Seans body and in the life support machine at the end..

 

[Cain]

Very solid. Duncan Jones is now 2 for 2. I love that his films so far excel where the best sci-fi always does. Which is on the visceral and emotional level and not on the spectacle.

Vapor

Spoiler

Yes the end all took place in the parrallel universe. The Goodwin that received the text was the alternate one and not the one that we knew throughout the rest of the movie. My thing is if Colter's consciousness still embodies Sean then wtf happened to Sean's consciousness in that world?

The only explanation I gave myself was the whole "same matter can't occupy same space" thing. Since there is a Colter already in that world one can assume the Colter we know eventually fades away and Sean's consciousness remanifests in his body. Unless they pull a Quantum Leap like when Dr. Beckett leaped into Lee Harvey Oswald and their consciousness were merging after a gradual period of time. So the new Sean is a combo of both Colter and Sean.

Hmmm I wish they had more room to explain the science in this universe cause that was the only thing that left me like "huh".

Still quite solid though. It contained some of the more interesting sci-fi concepts I've seen since Never Let Me Go and Tron Legacy. First movie this year worth the actual cash at least as far as more mainstream releases go anyway.

 

[chaseter]

Pretty good movie. Whoever said it was like Minority Report meets Matrix was pretty right. There just wasn't any big time fights. This was more of a mystery flick.

I sort of figured out the twist with Colter pretty early but that really wasn't the big twist at the end that I liked. I also kept waiting to see [blackout]the inventor of the machine being the one that really caused the train accident or hired the terrorist to get his program up and running like in Minority Report[/blackout].

 

[Solidus]

I thought of it more of Hitchcock meets Twilight Zone meets Groundhogs Day more then Minority Report.

 

[chaseter]

I thought of it more of Hitchcock meets Twilight Zone meets Groundhogs Day more then Minority Report.

I agree about Groundhogs Day. Obviously this isn't silly.

[blackout]Creator of a program needing a disaster to enact his program to save future life[/blackout] is very Minority Report. That is why I kept thinking [blackout]he was the second phone and Colter was going to figure it out[/blackout]. That would have been an awesome twist. Pretty good mystery movie. As someone said, I just wish they dove a little deeper into the science and sci-fi world that it created but they didn't.

 

[Solidus]

I agree about Groundhogs Day. Obviously this isn't silly.

[blackout]Creator of a program needing a disaster to enact his program to save future life[/blackout] is very Minority Report. That is why I kept thinking [blackout]he was the second phone and Colter was going to figure it out[/blackout].

Good point about Minority Report.

Of course this film was not silly, but just the fact of re-living the same moment over and over again was what I thought of.

 

[Paradoxium]

So I take it I am seeing things and there isn't [BLACKOUT]two different Colter Stevens with a vegetative body[/BLACKOUT]

 

[bullets]

Source Code was pretty awesome, I think it used its premise well. You could say its predictable to some degree, but at the same I think it did a pretty good job at mixing it up. At first I wasnt digging the ending but in the very end it pull it off pretty well, I still have my problems with it somewhat but it didn't really hinder my movie at all.

There was one instance where, without anything really being funny, both my friend and I started laughing, for which we garnered many awkward looks from the people around us. Basically it amounts to us being horrible people, or really sick senses of humor.

I thought some of Michelle Monaghan's facial expressions were funny but I still love her.

Anyways I really enjoyed this moreso than I was expecting. I really liked the concept and how they kept the suspense. Although I understood the ending I'm still left with a lot of questions. Even though he's [BLACKOUT] apart of an alternate reality it's possible he's discovered something the scientists haven't [/BLACKOUT] idk..

8/10

 

[Vapor]

Vapor

Spoiler

Yes the end all took place in the parrallel universe. The Goodwin that received the text was the alternate one and not the one that we knew throughout the rest of the movie. My thing is if Colter's consciousness still embodies Sean then wtf happened to Sean's consciousness in that world?

The only explanation I gave myself was the whole "same matter can't occupy same space" thing. Since there is a Colter already in that world one can assume the Colter we know eventually fades away and Sean's consciousness remanifests in his body. Unless they pull a Quantum Leap like when Dr. Beckett leaped into Lee Harvey Oswald and their consciousness were merging after a gradual period of time. So the new Sean is a combo of both Colter and Sean.

Hmmm I wish they had more room to explain the science in this universe cause that was the only thing that left me like "huh".

[BLACKOUT]Yeah that makes sense.. Goodwin turns his life support off and that's the end of that Colter. Everything we see after takes place in the alternate timeline created by the source code. It's never really explicitly explained or shown to be like that (although it is kinda obvious/plausible when you think about)..

Although that doesn't really explain how their can be 2 Colters, as he is still there on life support waiting for his first Source Code mission. What happens to Seans 'mind' is another question too... It could be considered that Colter 'killed' him by taking over his body. Also, I'm not sure I'd wanna do what Colter did... I mean, she's not really falling in love with him, she's falling in love with Sean.
[/BLACKOUT]

Still, as has being said, it's a solid effort. And Jake is really good in it. I personally wouldn't mind seeing Duncan have a go at the mooted Logans Run remake.

 

[Heretic]

[BLACKOUT]I mean, she's not really falling in love with him, she's falling in love with Sean.
[/BLACKOUT]

Is it me that gets to have sex with her? It is? Then I'm okay with this scenario.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I saw it yesterday. I loved it and it certainly is a great film. I really liked the ending and [BLACKOUT]how they played with alternate realities.[/BLACKOUT]

4/4 stars

 

[terry78]

I must interject in this thought provoking discussion and say that Michelle Monaghan is ridiculously cute. Whenever she smiled, I know every dude in the audience was like, "I need to gets some of that to come home to."

 

[Matt]

Best of the year, so far.

 

[redhawk23]

[BLACKOUT]Yeah that makes sense.. Goodwin turns his life support off and that's the end of that Colter. Everything we see after takes place in the alternate timeline created by the source code. It's never really explicitly explained or shown to be like that (although it is kinda obvious/plausible when you think about)..

Although that doesn't really explain how their can be 2 Colters, as he is still there on life support waiting for his first Source Code mission. What happens to Seans 'mind' is another question too... It could be considered that Colter 'killed' him by taking over his body. Also, I'm not sure I'd wanna do what Colter did... I mean, she's not really falling in love with him, she's falling in love with Sean.
[/BLACKOUT]

Still, as has being said, it's a solid effort. And Jake is really good in it. I personally wouldn't mind seeing Duncan have a go at the mooted Logans Run remake.

Spoiler

I agree that the movie leaves so much open in terms to what happens next, whatever reality coulter now finds himself in. I mean the situation really cannot work in the long run, superimposing yourself into someone elses life, but I think Coulter knows this somewhere in the back of his mind. I think thats why at the end all he wants to do is just savor that one perfect moment in the park.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I must interject in this thought provoking discussion and say that Michelle Monaghan is ridiculously cute. Whenever she smiled, I know every dude in the audience was like, "I need to gets some of that to come home to."

This. I really hope Shane Black finds some way to put her in Iron Man 3.

 

[Cmill216]

I hate to be a negative Nancy. But alas, that is my fate.

I read the script for the film several months ago and absolutely adored it. But having seen the movie, I'm at a loss for words as to what anyone was thinking when they decided to do a re-write on this thing.

Ben Ripley's original script, the one that sold, is a near-perfect sci-fi thriller. And while much of the film stays true to the basic elements of the script, there were several inexplicable changes made that, to me, completely ruined what made the original draft great. In my opinion, had you not made a single change from the original version of Source Code, the film would've been infinitely superior and just as marketable.

Why? Well...

Spoiler

The biggest problem is Christina. In the script, she's just a stranger to Sean Fentress. She has no idea who he is. So when Colter begins freaking out on the train, she's simply puzzled by him. Her character is cold and aloof, yet fascinating. And ultimately, Colter becomes intrigued by her.

What makes their relationship work in the script is that there's a journey to it. An expedition of discovery. Colter wants to learn more about her, but because of the time constraints he only gets bits and pieces of information. So every time he goes back into Source Code, everything they've built together in those few moments is reset and he has to start from scratch again. So by the end of the script, once he's in a position to finally save her and stop the bomb, he's developed such an insight and connection to her that he can actually convince her to come away with him, even though he's a total stranger to her. In short, he's EARNED her.

But in the film, that dynamic is completely blown apart (pun intended).

She already knows Sean Fentress. They have a history. So Colter manipulates their familiarity right from the start. She's willing to go have coffee with him for no other reason than "There's something different about you today." Sure, you could argue that it still works, especially if you hadn't read the script. But the original path of their relationship was so much more meaningful because there was a journey to it. An actual arc.

Like any great story, there's always an initial trajectory that is changed through complication. In the script, Colter is assigned to find the bomber. That's his mission. That's what he WANTS to do, and that's what he TRIES to do. Because after all, he's still a soldier following orders. But as he delves deeper into Christina, he suddenly realizes that saving her is more important than the mission. His initial trajectory is changed by the emotional complication of him falling in love with her. And it's not just because she's cute and smiles a lot, but because she has fears, and insecurities and flaws that he discovers over time.

In the film, there's no transition to this. Colter is assigned to find the bomb, but before he's even really begun his investigation, he's already trying to rescue Christina. It's such an unnecessary change that does nothing but truncate the development of these two characters.

Personally, I think this project is an encapsulation of everything that's wrong with Hollywood today. Here was a smart, thrilling sci-fi script with a strong emotional core, that was completely butchered for reasons that escape me. Blatant, inexplicable changes to core story elements that served no real purpose beyond robbing the script of much of its depth. It's a disheartening experience.

And a couple more thoughts:

Spoiler

Let me say something about the direction. I understand the Hitchcockian approach Jones was trying to take, but I don't think he really captured the right style for the story. The original script felt like a tight, tense, and grounded sci-fi thriller. Something Paul Greengrass could've nailed.

The music in this film treaded way too close to De Palma levels of bombast. Source Code isn't Inception. It's not a grand film in scope. It dealt with a very contained and very personal series of emotions. And stylistically, I think Jones completely missed the mark.

But I digress. Let me get back to Christina.

The thing I love about the script is how it naturally shifted its focus from finding the bomber to stopping the bomb. Again, I go back to the idea of an initial trajectory being altered by complication. In the script, the main focus of the first act is almost solely on the mission and figuring out what the hell is going on. Unlike in the film, where Colter almost immediately abandons his assignment for the sake of saving Christina, and for no other reason than "Well, she's a pretty girl."

Colter is supposed to be a soldier. And in the script, you can see that. At the beginning, he's very much in line with Source Code's goal: find the bomber. He actually acts like the trained officer he's supposed to be. But as things progress, he begins to see these people as just that: real people. He falls in love with Christina for who she is, and his humanity forces him to change his goal. Instead of simply finding the bomber, he becomes determined to stop the bomb itself.

This progression is handled with far more precision in the script than it is in the film. And that's ultimately why I find the movie so disappointing. These were changes for the sake of changes. The script works because it's a fast paced, relentlessly tense series of questions. You're constantly guessing. There's a sense of disorientation that grips you.

I refuse to believe time was an issue. If it was, then what was the point of all those unnecessary aerial shots? See, I knew the film was going to have problems from the opening frame. The brilliance of Ripley's original draft is that we're immediately dropped into the situation. The very first image is Colter waking up in a complete daze. He has no idea where he is, and thus WE have no idea where he is. Just as Colter is disoriented, WE'RE disoriented. That opening credits sequence took so much mystery and intrigue out of the script's original opening.

I might sound like I'm nitpicking, but that's how much I loved the original script. It's not that it was a thematically profound masterpiece. It was just a near-perfectly executed thriller. And the changes made [save for making Goodwin a woman] were all depressingly pointless.

In short, those who haven't read the script are missing out on what got this project picked up in the first place. I can't for the life of me begin to understand how anyone could think these changes were sensible. It was painful to watch.

 

[KRIM]

It seems your entire disappointment lies on its deviance from the original script. And that's fine, but it's not much of a review of the film as a product of its own. You shouldn't have to compare it to what it was or could have been, but what it actually is.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

It seems your entire disappointment lies on its deviance from the original script. And that's fine, but it's not much of a review of the film as a product of its own. You shouldn't have to compare it to what it was or could have been, but what it actually is.

This. I don't think anymore needs to be said on my part, but a filme needs to be judged on what it is, not what it is supposed to be like. With that said, I'm not saying it's bad to be disappointed, but I think it's a little too much to call it painful to watch, especially since the film was handled pretty well.

 

[Cmill216]

It seems your entire disappointment lies on its deviance from the original script. And that's fine, but it's not much of a review of the film as a product of its own. You shouldn't have to compare it to what it was or could have been, but what it actually is.

Normally, I don't read screenplays for films before they've come out. But the buzz was too substantial for me to ignore. And indeed, the script lived up to the hype.

In this case, it's virtually impossible for me to separate myself from the material. There's no way I could see the film or judge it on its own merits. It's like reading a great novel, then going to see the movie, and it's nowhere near as good. The internal comparison you make is unavoidable. You can separate the two and judge them both, but they're still intertwined.

You see, I went in ready to love it, because I loved the screenplay. The film stays pretty true to what those original intentions were, but deviates in such inexplicably misconceived ways, it's a jarring experience.

This. I don't think anymore needs to be said on my part, but a filme needs to be judged on what it is, not what it is supposed to be like. With that said, I'm not saying it's bad to be disappointed, but I think it's a little too much to call it painful to watch, especially since the film was handled pretty well.

Put yourself in my shoes. Say you're a fan of Romeo and Juliet. You've read the play before, and you're familiar with how it goes. Then you go and watch a production of it. The acting's fine, the sets are completely respectable, but the story has been tweaked for completely illogical reasons. Romeo and Juliet already know each other, there's no love at first sight, and so on. You would be completely taken aback. That's what my experience was like watching Source Code. It was painful to watch.

As different as Baz Lurhman's Romeo and Juliet and Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet are, I enjoyed both because they're both still Romeo and Juliet. The visions were different, but the very core of the story remained unchanged.

I understand where you guys are coming from, but I encourage you to read the script. The film, as it exists, is a relatively well-made movie. But it's nowhere near what it should have been. It's disappointing, because we've been deprived a better film.

 

[KRIM]

Do you have a link to the script? Now that I've watched the film, I wouldn't mind reading the original inception of the story. I maintain that it's a very solid sci-fi thriller. Good, not great.