“Source Code” Review

One of the most electric action-adventure films of the past decade, “Source Code” unites the rare combination of intelligence, originality and excitement to form one of the must-see movies of 2011.  It is riveting from the opening few seconds until the haunting and perfectly pitched conclusion.  It becomes an instant classic of its genre and will, without a shadow of doubt, end up in my 2011 Top Ten List.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier who wakes up on a train inside another man’s body.  He sits opposite a beautiful woman, played by Michelle Monaghan, and surrounded by seemingly typical Chicago-bound morning commuters.  8 minutes later, the train explodes and he re-awakens inside a capsule of some sort.  He suspects a military training simulation of some kind.

It turns out that he is part of a new program called “Source Code” — a method that allows the military to occupy the final few minutes of a deceased individual’s life.  It is compared in the film to the afterglow of a dimmed bulb.  Inside that afterglow, he is able to experience and investigate the timeline — which allows a full analysis of what, in this case, is a terrorist attack.  He gets to re-live the 8 minutes as many times as necessary.  His job is to find the bomb and identify the bomber before a larger scale attack occurs on downtown Chicago.

The flare and originality of the screenplay is the key to the film’s success.  It never feels repetitive.  It doesn’t ever feel implausible, despite the fantastical scientific element.  “Source Code” delves into the complex nature of fate versus free will.  It somehow finds time for a romantic thread and it rises above the level of mindless thriller with ease as it reaches for something loftier than mere entertainment.  I cannot recommend a film of this kind any more.  It ranks up there with the greats like,  “Die Hard”, “Bourne Identity” & “Run Lola Run”.