Source Code

Eight Minutes To Save Millions

Director: Duncan Jones

Writer: Ben Ripley

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright. Michael Arden

RANT: While all of the kids and their mothers (or fathers) are cranking up the opening weekend grosses, taking in over double the nearest competitor, I decided to take in another underdog film, Source Code. I found the non kid demographics there!

SYNOPSIS: A captain in the Air Force finds himself in the body of another man as part of a mission to find a bomber on a Chicago commuter train.

Relative newcomer director Duncan Jones finds himself in front of a script from another relative newcomer writer Ben Ripley with his departure material for Source Code. Known for straight-to-video films Species III and Species: The Awakening, Ripley surprises with Source Code. Duncan Jones, director and writer of 2009's Moon with Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey, brings a freshness and thoughtfulness to a story that could have been a 12 Monkeys reject.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Captain Colter Stevens, a man who finds himself in the body of a man on a Chicago commuter train. Sitting across from him is Michelle Monaghan as Christina Warren, apparently a friend of the man who Capt. Stevens finds himself trapped in. Eight minutes later, the train explodes from a bombing... and Capt. Stevens finds himself trapped in a capsule with only a video monitor with Capt. Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) instructing him to remember his current mission to identify a bomber. Stevens mission is to find the bomber before the bomber detonates a second dirty bomb in the heart of Chicago later in the day.

The film is an interesting concept with the hearts of 12 Monkeys and Groundhog's Day, combining the action thriller of Capt. Stevens trying to solve the mystery of the bomber's identity and prevent the deaths of millions of Chicago residents, and the recurring attempts to do so eight minutes at a time before dying in the bomb blast.

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga are perfectly cast, bringing heart into the tale. Gyllenhaal conveys the confusion of a man out of time and body and the valor of a dedicated unsung military hero doing anything to save lives. Monaghan, although more of a foil to begin with as Stevens relives the same eight minutes, quickly expands into a true tangible interest that Stevens and the audience cares about. Finally, Farmiga's Goodwin is both mission driven and human compassionate. Rounding out the main cast is Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Rutledge, the inventor of the Source Code that Stevens finds himself in.

Source Code is a well-paced, duel-point thriller. The film focuses on the mission and Stevens ability to complete the mission parameters to save millions; all the while trying to find a way to go beyond the mission to save the commuter train passengers and, more importantly, Christina.

I enjoyed the ride, the characters and the code.

WORTH: Matinee or DVD

Due Date

Running On A Full Tank

[Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan]

image from hollywoodgo.com

RANT: Hello November. The leaves are changing color. The landscapers have traded in their mowers for blowers as their primary gasoline driven tool. As I return from the theater today, I apologetically drove through a pile of leaves the workers had blown together on the driveway. It hearkened back to being a kid, running through the leaves, except this time with a 2,000 lb. car!

SYNOPSIS: Peter Highman needs to get across the country to be with his wife for her scheduled C-section of their first child. Put on a "No Fly" list because of aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay, Peter is forced into a road trip with him in an attempt to get to Los Angeles in time.

Todd Phillips, director of comedy gold such as "The Hangover", "Old School" and "Starsky & Hutch", re-teams with Zach Galifianakis and adds Robert Downey, Jr. to the roster to bring us a good old-fashioned at-odds, must-get-home buddy road flick. In the spirit of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Tommy Boy", Downey, Jr. stars as high-strung, impatient architect Peter Highman, trying to get home to Los Angeles for the birth of his child. Galifianakis co-stars as aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay, who from the first time they meet in passing at the airport causes Peter nothing but problems and barriers to getting home to the west coast.

Of course Ethan accidentally switches bags at the airport departures curbside, causing Peter to be detained for contraband. Of course, Ethan decides to spout to Peter about turning off his cell phone while getting ready for takeoff, mentioning terrorists and bombs, causing both to be escorted off the flight and onto a 'no-fly" list. With no wallet or ID, Peter cannot rent a car and is forced to travel with Ethan as he attempts to make his way to Hollywood to become a television actor, with hopes to scatter his father's ashes at the Grand Canyon on the way.

There are great moments of laughter in the film. Be sure to look for the coffee grounds incident at Peter's friend Darryl's house in Texas. The moment of understanding between Peter and Ethan's Craig List "glaucoma pharmacist's" son is unexpected, oh so wrong, and hilarious. And try never to mistake a Mexico border crossing for a Texaco gas station when you are low on fuel. But this film has heart too.

Where Zach's Ethan is a constant source of amusement and frustration for Robert's Peter (and laughs for us), he gives some touching moments as he is as uncomfortable and tortured in his own skin as we know he must be. The mission to scatter his father's ashes is as much an emotional and spiritual journey as a physical one.

Sometimes the switches from comedy to drama and back again is disconcerting, but it supports the growth of both Peter and Ethan on their cross-country quests. At the end, you will definitely know and care more about them both, without resorting to asking Ethan's endless series of questions.

Worth: Matinee

I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!