Duncan Jones debut movie, Moon, turned out to be something special. The question was, could he maintain that level of quality working with someone elses script, on a bigger budget, in the Hollywood studio system. Judging by Source Code, I'd say that he definitely can. In many ways Jones is proving to be a man with a consistent vision as Source Code, like Moon, is about a man struggling with his own identity and place in the world, has a high concept, hard science-fiction premise and has a structure which gradually delivers revelation after revelation.
The three leads, a paternal Vera Farmiga, a vibrant Michelle Monaghan and the driven everyman Jake Gyllenhaal all do great work. Gyllenhaal himself prove he can carry a movie and confirms he's a solid actor although I'm still not convinced he's true movie star material (way better than Worthington or Tatum anyway). Visually the film's a little flat (although Tony Scott flash isn't required for this) and the effects, minimal though they may be, are a little shoddy).
At the end of the day this is an expanded Outer Limits episode which riffs off Quantum Leap (so much so there's a neat cameo to acknowledge it) and Groundhog Day that puts character development front and centre. And into it's terrorist thriller plot are all sorts of intellectual musings on the nature of reality, morality and the tension between free will verses destiny. It's exciting, it's engaging and it's a pleasure to see adult, science fiction thrillers back in movie theatres.
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