SOURCE CODE 3.3***

“Source Code” begins with the lead character, Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhall), waking up on a Chicago commuter train, opposite Christina (Michelle Monaghan), a woman whom he's apparently never met, talking to him as if they've known each other some time. Immediately after, we learn that he's a Helicopter pilot for the US Army, and that he in fact has never met her before. He has no clue how he's gotten to where he is, or why. All he knows is that this woman apparently knows him well, and thinks his name is 'Sean'. Confused by all of this, he goes to the bathroom, only to find that the person in the mirror isn't him, it's someone else. Just as you begin to try to process all of this information, the train abruptly explodes into flames, killing everyone on board. The opening immediately attaches you to the story. It also leaves us with tons of questions: What the hell just happened? Who is Christina? Who is this 'Sean' Character? Why is Colter in this situation?

Then Colter wakes up again, but now in a dimly lit capsule, alone, talking to fellow soldier Capt. Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). We discover that the commuter train he was just on was destroyed by a terrorist bomb earlier that day, and that there may be an even larger attack that could destroy Chicago. We also learn that he's a participant in an experimental Army intelligence program that allows him to continually relive the last eight minutes of one of the train's passengers life (Sean), in order to find the terrorist bomber who has threatened the larger attack in the heart of Chicago. And like “Groundhog Day”, he experiences the same events over and over again, remembering each and every one. Giving him the chance to inspect every suspicious passenger, as well as getting to know Christina a bit more along the way, and eventually beginning to care for her safety.
This film succeeds with the constant suspense and mystery, great action sequences, and the amazing musical score. “Source Code” keeps you guessing throughout about who the bomber could be and what’s going to happen. This film fulfils the very definition of a suspense thriller with SciFi thrown in.

Clark