Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Captain Colter Stevens, a pilot enlisted by the government to help them with a very important mission - stopping a terrorist from killing countless people in downtown Chicago. By using a computer program named Source Code, they are able to insert Stevens' subconscious into the "body" of a passenger named Sean of similar physical properties and allow him to relive the last 8 minutes of Sean's life, before the bomb exploded and took him and hundreds of other passengers out. By doing so, the government hopes that Stevens can discover who the bomber is and prevent him from his ultimate goal, setting off a dirty bomb in downtown Chicago.
The problem is, they won't tell Stevens much more than that and this is a pretty heavy scene for him to take in. As they keep sending him back in, he replays the same scenes over and over, having almost the same conversation with Catherine, and each time, dying in a white-hot explosion after 8 minutes. But then the unthinkable happens - he is able to get Catherine off the train. Stevens soon believes he can not only save her life, but the others on the train and he is determined to not only do that, but to find out what happened to himself such that the government is able to hide him away and make him perform this hideous task over and over. Naturally, he also finds himself falling for Catherine and that makes the inevitability of her death all the more unbearable.
String theory, quantum physics and a little nod to time travel (although it's not really time travel) are not typically what make a blockbuster in the movie business. However, Source Code is a fantastic movie that is not to be missed by fans of action, intrigue and yes, sci-fi. Okay, so I am a big science nerd, but you don't have to be to appreciate this film, and the science of it all never gets so heady as to alienate those who really don't know string theory from silly string. The ending is handled perfectly and we were really pleased with how it all plays out. I expected a Hollywood ending wrapped up with a big bow of happiness, even though the characters were doomed from the get-go, but what we got instead was somewhere between that and a cold and more realistic ending. It was perfect, actually.
Jake Gyllenhaal was excellent in his role of Stevens. He perfectly portrayed a man confused by his surroundings, but one still desperate to help those he could. He looked on edge for most of the film, just a little big gaunt and not quite right. Michelle Monaghan is so damned adorable and she was picture perfect as Catherine. Who wouldn't want to change the past to save her? Vera Farmiga as Goodwin is fantastic. She's underused in Hollywood and I hope to see more of her since her acting is flawless, as always.
As far as special features go, there's audio commentary with the director, writer and Gyllenhall, and one whopping feature called Access: Source Code. Here, you can view the film again with a myriad of options such as fun trivia, experts' opinions, cast and crew interviews, and facts about topics covered in the film. Prior to the movie beginning, you can select which ones you want to see and they will overlay the movie. The trivia comes fast and furious and some of it applies and some doesn't. For instance, when a golf course pops up on screen, there's a bit of trivia about golf. So don't expect the trivia to always be reflective of the core subject matter of Source Code, but it was still amusing. The expert opinion was a little boring, but I really enjoyed the cast interviews and the facts portion because it played out an animated sequence explaining the science behind different aspects of time travel, almost propaganda style. For those who really want to dig into the meat of the movie, this is for you. Plus, you can "fast-forward" to the next tidbit of info.
Considering the explosions, as well as the lush countryside the train travels through, Blu-ray really helps to make the scenes pop in Source Code. The high def especially brings out the strain on Gyllenhaal's face during this whole ordeal and there's a particular scene with Monaghan that is just so crisp and moving - you'll know it when you get to it. The surround sound, especially during the many explosions, really helps with immersion. If you have a high def setup, there's no reason to bother with the DVD version.
When it comes to movies that have their basis in science and such, I am always hesitant, but I just loved Source Code. It's a great action movie, filled with tense moments and both physical and mental struggle, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. The icing on the cake was seeing who voiced Stevens' father, whom we only hear on the phone. Perfect! Throw some popcorn in the microwave and hunker down for a great movie night. Highly recommended.
