SOURCE CODE : archive from 24th May 2011.

Saw 'SOURCE CODE' last night and loved it -  original story, clever premise, well crafted and Directed by relatively new up & coming talent to watch Duncan Jones AKA Zowie Bowie AKA son of one David Bowie. This film was made for US$32M and grossed US$147M and along the way picked up an award and a handful of nominations from the awards circuit. Nonetheless it garnered positive reviews from this second time Director whose first offering was the acclaimed 'Moon' and next up has 'Warcraft' due for release in 2016.

And so to the story! Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a US Army chopper pilot whose last recollection was flying a sortie in Afghanistan. He wakes up on a commuter train at 7:40am heading for Chicago. All around him he is just an ordinary early morning traveller heading into the city with his travelling mate Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan). But something is not quite right - why is he there, who is he with, and why isn't he in Afghanistan? To the outside world and the person staring back at him in the toilet mirror though he is Sean Fentress - a school teacher - he gets agitated, then, the train on which he is travelling explodes, killing all on board.

He regains consciousness and is inside a cockpit communicating through a video link to Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) who confirms his identity as Colter Stevens and commands that he remains on mission to locate the train bomber before another bomb takes out downtown Chicago in six hours time. In reality Steven's is inside the 'Source Code' - an enclosed self contained chamber developed by scientist Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) that allows him to experience the final eight minutes of another persons compatible life but in an alternate timeline. Confused - stick with it, because it's worth it!

As each eight minute period comes and goes with increasing urgency and desperation, Stevens must relive those eight minutes but each time learn from the previous experience to find the bomber and prevent the tragedy.  He will die time and time again and witness the horrors of the explosion, the death and carnage, but his purpose is clear and his instructions explicit, even though he may not agree with them. But of course he doesn't know the full story nor yet does he see the full picture.

As time progresses Stevens gets closer to the truth, the location of the bomb and the bomber, but he also gets closer to his travelling companion Christina with whom he begins to fall in love. He believes he can prevent the tragedy but because he is not travelling back in time, but simply reliving eight minutes in time he cannot change what has happened, merely understand it and try to stop it from occurring within those eight minutes. But, he chooses to test the theory but must do so before his time runs out, and before those controlling the 'Source Code' interrupt the proceedings.

One of the most intelligent present day sci-fi movie outings since 'Inception', and a great second offering from Duncan Jones. This film will leave you pondering the story, wondering at the ending, and debating the pieces of the puzzle just seen. If you missed this first time around catch it now on DVD, BluRay or download and enjoy Gyllenhaal for the reliable grounded solid performance he always gives coupled with a great story.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-