SOURCE CODE is a well-constructed thriller

The filmmakers behind Source Code don’t waste anytime moving the plot along; the first ten minutes jumpstarts the déjà-vu like plotline, and the momentum is sustained throughout. It’s just go-go-go; put your thinking cap on and enjoy the high-tech thriller.

            Jake Gyllenhaal wakes up on a speeding train on the way to the heart of Chicago, not aware of his surroundings or his own identity. Several people on the train get up and pass by, and one spills their coffee on his shoes. The director cuts to several quick insert shots, which recur over and over again in the plot, and yes, these shots generate a different perspective by Gyllenhaal’s character each time around. Eight minutes and one deadly explosion later, our hero is transported back to what he thinks might be reality. Gyllenhaal’s mission is to discreetly uncover the bomber of a train, trying to save humanity, eight minutes at a time.

            The exposition of the drastic chain of events are well established, but some of the information the audience is fed is very high-tech and far-fetched. Hell, we are not even transported back in time, but more specifically, a parallel universe. That’s okay though, we don’t need much of a rational explanation, as long as the logic works in the film, as opposed to reality. I might not completely grasp the concept of the “source code,” but throw away your logic and immerse yourself in this fast-paced, intelligent thriller.

             The best comparison I can make to Source Code is Christopher Nolan’s stunning dreamlike scenario in the ambitious thriller, Inception (2010), but Source Code is more straightforward and moves like lightning as opposed to Nolan’s high-concept opus. After the situational conflict is established, the writers work on the protagonist’s intriguing character development. Gradually, the audience discovers a central purpose to Gyllenhaal’s mission and why he’s the one to save the world from global terrorism.

             The finale of Source Code had me a little confused; I felt I needed a little more clarity and thought the ending had sort of an open-ended interpretation. Perhaps everything was tied together in a nice little bow, but I thought the last five minutes or so negates the concept of the “source code,” and its paradoxical possibilities. Films like the big-budget Source Code isn’t what I love about going to the movies, but it’s refreshing to be thoroughly engaged and thinking on my toes for a swift hour and a half.

*** (out of four)