Source Code

How would you like to be blown up every ten minutes or so nonstop? Sound painful? Well that's what Captain Colter Stevens has to go through in the new action/thriller "Source Code." He is also hit, tazed, and shot all in the confines of a train in which he must find a bomb and its owner before he, along with all those on board, are killed...again. Confused? Let me explain... Actor Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Captain Stevens who wakes up on a train not knowing where he is. His last memory is of his last mission in which he flew a helicopter through enemy fire in Afghanistan. Stevens is now being talked to by a woman whom he doesn't know named Christina (Michelle Monaghan) and things get even weirder when he sees his reflection and sees a face that is not his own. Frightened and confused, Stevens tries to piece together what has happened to him but before he has much time, a bomb goes off and he wakes up in his crashed helicopter. He is then greeted via computer screen by Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) who tells him that he is currently involved in a project titled Source Code. In this program, a person can relive the last eight minutes of another person's life. In this case, Captain Stevens is tasked with reliving the last eight minutes of school teacher Sean Fentress's life. In these eight minutes, Stevens must find a bomb on the train and find the bomber so that in the present time, the government can find the bomber before he strikes another target. Stevens must keep reliving the final eight minutes of Fentress's life until he can complete his assignment. First off, let me go ahead and say that "Source Code" is without a doubt the best film I have seen this year (even though there has not been much competition). This is only the second film I have seen this year that has a good script. There was nothing cheesy or outlandish about the dialogue and their are no over-the-top elements with the story. The story kept me entertained and wanting more. There were no slow periods because everything was non-stop thanks to the good pacing. And even better, the ending tries to mess with your head, making you question what you think happened, an ending of which I am a big fan of (Inception). But by far, the most important thing about "Source Code" is that it was able to reach me emotionally. This film made me hope that the characters succeed and that the bad guys were caught. It made me like the characters and care about what happens to them. The movie made me truly care about the story and that is something that no other film has done this year and something that films in general fail to accomplish. "Source Code" connects the audience to the film. Jake Gyllenhaal is a great actor and he carries "Source Code" from beginning to end with his acting. His performance, plus a fast-paced story, plus a good script, plus emotion equal 2011's first, best film. I give it three and a half stars out of four. "Source Code" has a running time of 94 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some violence including disturbing images, and for language.