Moon, directed by Duncan Jones, is a science fiction film gem that has quietly gained viewership and critical admiration since its release in 2009. Source Code, Jones’ new, larger budget sci-fi movie, deserves the same high praise from true SciFi fans.
Although not penned by Jones, who wrote the screenplay for Moon, Source Code has a similar key element: a main character who gradually comes to realize the truth of his supposed existence and seeks the freedom to control his own destiny.
Some critics claim that Moon, with its low-budget grittiness, is superior to Source Code. I disagree. Source Code has a much tighter pace which helps broaden the viewership and showcases Jones’ maturation as a visual storyteller. Since the script is clean and gripping, Jones uses special effects sparingly only to accentuate the intensity of the story elements, not to divert the audience’s attention from a weak script. A refreshing change from many recent sci-fi films.
On top of a good director, Source Code also benefits from a solid cast. Jake Gyllenhaal proves to be a fine actor with masterful control of his emotional reservoir. Michelle Monaghan comes off as sincere and convincing. And the two superb supporting actors, Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright, further enhance the credibility and emotional truth of the film. Farmiga portrays her role as a seemingly icy army officer masking her deep compassion with finesse and subtlety. Wright dons a gleeful self-congratulatory air with an almost comical nervous mannerism. His skillful depiction of a “mad scientist” who disregards the feelings of the soldier who has become a mere tool to expand and elevate the scientist’s own status and the program Wright’s character oversees is spot on.
Like all good science fiction, in the end, the viewer is left with some essential questions (and only occasional answers.) After seeing the final minutes of the movie, I wondered if Ben Ripley (the screen writer) is, fundamentally, celebrating this imagined military program designed to save many lives by sacrificing one soldier’s free-will. And if that is so, what does he have to say about some of our current military practices that demand the curtailing of personal conveniences and freedom to protect the greater good?