Source Code

**** stars

In 2009, director Duncan Jones crafted the highly underrated independent film Moon, one of the best science fiction entries in modern cinema. Crossing over to the mainstream with Source Code, Jones is proving to be one of the most refreshing filmmakers of his genre. Breathing new life into a Groundhog Day-esque concept, (how fascinating that the mythology of a 1993 Bill Murray comedy about a groundhog is still a brilliant base for science-fiction movies) this highly entertaining thriller is a blast of exciting relevancy mixed with a component that I have yet to discover this year in movies: fun. Because it has this as one of its chief elements, Source Code stands out as the first true gem of the year.

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal, in his best performance since Zodiac) wakes up in confusion on a morning commuter train heading into Chicago. Why? Because the last thing he remembers is flying a helicopter in Iraq. While the beginning of the train sequence certainly didn't do this on purpose, the opening of M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable certainly comes to mind. Confusion on a train seems to be a very exciting way to begin a movie. Maybe it's the fast-paced atmosphere combined with the thrill of the vehicle's physical speed.

The twist here in Source Code is that not only does Colter have no idea how he got on this train, he seems to be an entirely different person. While I won't for a second spill any details on why he is who is he, I will say that in place of being a military captain, he is now a school teacher sitting across from what could be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Christina (Michelle Monaghan) seems very interested in him. Confused by all of this, he searches the train for clues. Everyone seems to be noticing him as if he is the biggest elephant a room has ever seen.

Eight minutes later, a bomb explodes killing everyone on board. Colter wakes up from this in a confined space, in what seems to be a training program. He notices a small television monitor with mission controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farminga) asking him several questions about his memory. To Colter's surprise, he remembers the answers.

So what is Source Code? Basically (and this is not a spoiler, but a foundation of the story) it's a specific technology that allows the military to use a soldier like Colter to re-create a real-life scenario for eight minutes that will allow him to stop something terrible from happening in the near future. In this case, it's a second terrorist attack. The bombing of the train was just the first strike. Chicago is in danger, and it's up to one confused and lonely soldier to save the day. Without his permission, Colter is thrown back onto the train several times over, trying to find the man who could destroy an entire city.

Maybe I was a sucker before I even stepped in the theater to see Source Code, as Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies and 24 is one of my favorite TV shows. I just couldn't get over how brilliantly directed this movie was. Duncan Jones allows time for the human side of this story to kick-in, which many recent science fiction films have failed to do.

For example, a huge complaint of mine in last month's Battle: Los Angeles was how mechanic the storytelling was. All the characters were simply pawns in an action chess game with no real side of humanistic emotions. If Battle: Los Angeles was trying to be a salute to the troops, it failed. Source Code honors troops in a very different and more personal way. It focuses on one soldier who is thrown into chaos without knowing how he got there in the first place while still finding it in his heart to save all those around him before saving himself. I was moved by Gyllenhaal's charismatic performance, as he discovers strong emotions in scenes that many other actors would fail to find.

Combining electric action with taut storytelling, Source Code is some kind of small, short-term miracle, giving me the strength to find a reason to tell people to head back to the movies. While I am saddened that it only opened to $15 million (although with only a $32 million budget, it will be considered a success) I hope that the strong word-of-mouth will allow this movie to find the audience it deserves.