Source Code (2011) PG-13

My sincere apologies for not getting this finished sooner, folks. I've been a busy beaver; it's just one thing after another. Anyways...I will now start my review. This is the second film by Duncan Jones (Moon), and it's clear that he's going to be one of the good directors. Moon (starring Sam Rockwell), was simply fantastic and fresh. Jones had a lot of people in his corner for this film, so the pressure was on. The script was written by Ben Ripley, which was an interesting choice because his most notable work was on the last two Godawful Species sequels. And Ripley has gotten some flack, but I happened to think the script was quite humorous and top notch. My main man Jake Gyllenhaal (Brothers, Jarhead) is the lead actor, for those of you who don't know. He plays Captain Colter Stevens. Stevens is a decorated helicopter pilot for the United States Air Force.

Colter wakes up on a train headed to the wonderful city of Chicago. He has no recollection how he got there. The last thing he remembers was being in Afghanistan with his men. The strange, yet extremely beautiful woman (Michelle Monaghan) across from him seems to think she knows him. While he tries to figure out how he got onto this train, the woman begins a conversation with him and calls him Sean. After letting her babble on for a few minutes he explains that he's not this "Sean" person, that his name is Colter Stevens and he's never met her before. He goes to the restroom to splash some water into his face when sees a reflection of another man in the mirror. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, this isn't happening." What else could one say if they saw another person staring at them in the mirror. He looks into his wallet and finds a picture I.D. of a man named Sean Fentress, a Chicago area teacher. It isn't long before the train blows up into a million pieces after a bomb goes off.

Colter then wakes up in some sort of dark chamber, where he is strapped in tight to an apparatus. There's a small television in front of him where a women appears on the screen and acknowledges Colter. She tells him to relax and take deep breathes. She tries her very best to explain the situation without giving too much information away about his whereabouts and how/why he's in this chamber. She explains that earlier today a Chicago-bound train had an explosive in it which went off killing everyone on board. They have Intel that this is just the first of many attacks on the Chicago metro area. His goal is to find the bomb. Find the bomb, and you will find the terrorist. Colter immediately thinks that this is a test and he's in some sort of virtual reality simulation. They send him back into the "source code."

Colter once again awakes on the train opposite the woman, whose name is Christina (Monaghan). Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) was so perfectly cast and is always a delight to watch on screen. This is most definitely one of her better roles. Colter notices that although the situation is the same, some of the minor details have changed. He seems amused, and points out that Christina must be the "beautiful distraction." He sole mission is to find the bomb. He searches high and low for the bomb, no luck. Finally he notices a lot of action coming in and out of the restroom. That seems like a reasonable spot to hide a bomb. He enters and checks the ventilation system, bingo. The large and complicated looking bomb is staring right back at him. Colter speaks into the air, thinking that the people running this "simulation" are listening. "What do I do? I found it! Do I leave it? I'm going to leave it." Colter leaves the bomb and looks for any suspicious behavior, but he's run out of time. KA-BLAMMM!!!

Colter awakes in the chamber for a second time. The woman on the screen is Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). Goodwin works for the Air Force as well. Colter has many more questions. Goodwin goes onto explain that this is not a simulation. That through the source code one can relive the last eight minutes of another persons life. Trippy. She wants him to locate the terrorist to avert another disaster. She explains that he cannot alter the past, so don't even attempt to save anyone. Colter gets sent back and forth, over and over again. What would seem like a tough thing to sell, actually works for Jones. Not at any point does it get old, unlike other "time travel" films similar to this one. Colter finds a lead, who's an Arab (who would've thought, right?), but he's not the bomber. As Colter spends more time with Christina he begins to really enjoy her company. Gyllenhaal and Monaghan have really good chemistry when on screen, that much is for certain.

The wacky Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) comes into the mix demanding Colter to find the bomber before he strikes again. Rutledge is the brains behind the source code. Wright (Syriana, Casino Royale) is cast perfectly, this is the type of role he's become accustom to dominating. I simply can't go into much more detail without ruining everything for ya'll. I will say that ending is up for interpretation, which is part of the fun. The ending is sort of conventional, but at the same time it will have you thinking. The performances are solid all across the board. Gyllenhaal can do no wrong in my book, Monaghan is witty and stunning, and Farmiga (The Departed, Orphan) has been better but her role is a small one. The "villain" in this film is played by Michael Arden (Bride Wars, The Good Shepherd), he's effectively demented.

This is BY FAR the best film I've seen this year (I haven't seen that many yet, though). If you're into sci-fi/time travel flicks then you won't want to miss this one. It's often funny, it's smart, head-scratching at times and there's great chemistry between the leads. What more do you want? Go see it, you will not regret it. Fun fact: Duncan Jones is David Bowie's son.
A-