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Source Code.
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Going only on the trailer, Source Code didn’t seem like anything all that special. It seemed like another run of the mill, action packed industry flick; it didn’t quite catch my eye—at first. Then I realized that Duncan Jones was the director. My thoughts began to change.
Jones was responsible for 2009’s beautiful sci-fi gem Moon, which was also his film debut. After getting his name out with a hard sci-fi indie film, it seemed odd that his next project would be one with a big chance of commercial success but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Thankfully, he made it worth my while.
Source Code isn’t exactly what the advertisements imply. It’s not an over-the-top, action-packed, love story on a train. Yes, there is action. Yes, there is a subtle love story, and yes, there is a train. But Jones doesn’t allow the Speed-style triteness to get in the way of the real story at hand. Now, I can’t go into too much detail about the film unless I slap a giant spoiler alert sticker at the top of the article. There are just some surprises in the film that need to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
I sat down with Duncan Jones to get some insight on Source Code. “I read it and thought it was terrific,” he said. “It was so fast-paced compared to Moon, so I got excited.” He said that though both Source Code and Moon share some similar themes and concepts, what drew him to the project were actually all of the differences. “The thing that appealed to me about the Source Code script was the differences, not the similarities,” he said. Jones set out to make a film unlike his last, while still staying true to his still-fresh sci-fi roots. And he succeeded.
With the obvious differences between his two works, I was curious about his feelings towards the different styles of filmmaking. One being a low budget indie film (Moon) and the other being a film that had more commercial appeal. “I want to have the illegitimate child of independent filmmaking and budget to make it,” he said. “I made Moon because I wanted to make feature films… Source Code was the opportunity to work with some big name actors, to work with Jake [Gyllenhall] who I was a big fan of, work in the Hollywood system with some more money, some more toys to play with. The next film I’d like to do would be something I’ve written myself with the same kind of money that I did Source Code on and hopefully we’ll take it from there and see how that goes down.” Jones is a director that focuses on making quality films—the kind he would love to see. It’s exciting to know that he is making a name for himself b and it won’t be surprising if in the future, he becomes a force to be reckoned with.
I was curious about what his next project would be and though he was unable to say much, he informed me that his next film will be another sci-fi film. “[I’m] writing a science fiction film right now,” he said. “And unfortunately, as much as I am enthusiastic about talking about it, I can’t really say much more than that but it’s going to be as different as Source Code is from Moon.” He promised that the film would be action packed but still stay true to his hard sci-fi past. He also stated that though he is establishing himself in the sci-fi world, he would like to explore other genres. “I was massively jealous but also excited when Tarantino did Inglourious Basterds. I’m a huge “guys on a mission” fan… by the time I am ready to make one of those films; I think Inglourious Basterds will have been long enough ago that maybe people will be ready for another kind of film like that. I’d love to do something like that.” He’s already proven that he is not a one trick pony with the heavy atmosphere of Moon and the quick paced segments of Source Code so fans should not fret his eventual venture into new territory.
If you’re on the fence or just not sure about Source Code, see it. Give it the chance it deserves. It’s a smart film by a fantastic director and though I had my doubts, it did not let me down. Watch it. It will surprise you.
★★★★
Moon.
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As I sit here indulging in my second cup of coffee (the first being far too sweet for my liking), I find myself mulling over the film Moon which I viewed last night. Now, I feel that I should warn you that I will be detailing many parts of the film that are quite important to the overall story and could spoil the experience for you. So, if you have yet to see this film (which I highly recommend you see), do not continue reading. Go see it for yourself and then come back to read what I have to say about it. Unless you are fine with the spoilers, that is. It’s your call, obviously.
So, Moon.
"I hope life on Earth is everything you remember it to be."
When first watching the film, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Its complex story was magnificent and though initially slightly confusing, everything is explained and rather easy to follow. The story opens with the protagonist Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) being seen in his highly automated lunar base “Sarang”. He is alone with the exception of his likable robotic assistant GERTY (Voiced by Kevin Spacey) and all incoming communications from Earth have been shut down due to a satellite failure. We learn that he is in his final two weeks of his three year contract with Lunar Industries, a company for which he extracts helium-3 from lunar soil in order to provide clean energy back on Earth. As he is readying himself to be returned home, he begins to hallucinate and while on a routine rover excursion to retrieve some ready canisters of helium-3 from a harvesting machine, he once again sees a hallucination and crashes his rover into the harvester. He later wakes up in the infirmary with GERTY telling him that he has sustained some injuries and has to recover. Going against GERTY’s instructions, Sam leaves his bed and walks in on GERTY in the middle of a live communication with Lunar Industries.
Dun, dun, dun.
Alright, to speed this up a bit, he is informed that he is not allowed to leave the base for any reason but finds a way to talk GERTY into letting him out. He goes back to his crash site to find (wait for it, wait for it) himself still in the rover and barely alive. He brings himself back to the base where he has GERTY care for and revive him… self. It all seems quite confusing until the clone factor is thrown in. So, which one is the clone? Well, they both are. We learn that the Sam that was found in the rover is actually the clone nearing the end of his lifespan and the Sam that had “sustained injuries and has to recover” is the replacement and the “recovery” period is the mandatory clone awakening process and test routine and that the two were never supposed to meet (hence the strict orders for Sam to stay in the base). All the clone’s have a three year life span and toward the end, they seem to grow very sick and are told that they are going to be shipped back to Earth and enter a chamber which puts them to sleep for the three day journey home (they die in said chamber). The clones devise a plan to send one of them back to Earth and when the film ends, we are still left with questions about the success of their scheme (mainly due to the lifespan) and the original Sam Bell. The ending is left for our own interpretation and I personally appreciated that fact.
I went into this film not really knowing what to expect and walked out completely satisfied. This is one of those films that once it sinks in and you’ve thought about it more and more, it becomes greater and greater. The phenomenal performance from Sam Rockwell is a driving force behind the overall feel but my favorite aspect is the questioning of existence. The clones had no knowledge that that their existence was essentially meaningless and once they discover this, it is devastating.
So far, my favorite interpretation of the film comes from the message boards of IMDb. The poster argues that the film can be seen as a religious criticism with the ever present Lunar Industries being perceived as God, the return home/to Earth as Heaven, the instructions and rewards promised as the Bible, and the many pointless messages sent back to earth as prayers.
Whatever you thought the film to be, it is well worth the time and one that should be seen at least twice. It is a marvelous work and it’s a shame that it was overlooked for any Oscar nominations. Seriously, how the hell did the stale and over hyped Avatar (aka Cameron’s cinematic wet dream) get nominated in nine different categories and Moon earn absolutely nothing. Now don’t get me wrong, Avatar was very entertaining and visually fantastic but its weak and recycled story is a huge fault that should not be overlooked. It is solely riding on the coattails of Cameron’s good name and its visual aesthetics. Seriously, what else have you heard about this lackluster film other than that it’s really nice to look at? I can answer that. Nothing. I’m convinced that much of its success and credibility comes from the hype alone. No one wants to be different so why not jump on the bandwagon and claim that it was, “AMAZING!!!! OH MY GOD, AVATAR WAS SOO GOOD!!” Calm it down there, Sparky. It was decent.
Anyway, back to Moon.
If you haven’t seen it, see it. It’s as simple as that. It’s a fantastic film and should be seen and appreciated, if not for the great story, then the amazing acting prowess of Rockwell.
★★★★
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