Source Code (2011)

This is a movie from 2011 that stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright. The plot centers around Gyllenhaal's character, a Colter Stevens. Colter suddenly finds himself on a train in a situation totally foreign to himself and surrounded by nothing he knows. Colter's last memory was piloting a military aircraft in war. 8 minutes later there's an explosion. Colter again awakens, but this time to find himself in some strange sort of wreckage. He's communicating via a video link with another soldier named Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). It's explained that he's part of an experimental program where they are able to send him back to specific moment in time repeatedly. This is the first time the experiment has worked, they know there's a bomb on the train, and they want Colter to find out who the bomber is. Colter is repeatedly put back on the train to try and figure out who the bomber is. In his attempts to do so he befriends some of the people around him on the train, particularly of a Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan) who is a co-worker of the person who's body he finds himself inside. There's a Ground Hog Day-esque sequence as he learns what's going to be happening on the train around him and even predicts everything to Christina to try and get her on his side. It's for naught as he, like in Ground Hog Day, dies and relive's it again and again. Eventually Colter begins making different efforts to identify and stop the bomber. Colter does eventually identify the bomber, but watches as Christina is killed. Throughout the course of events, Colter develops a connection with Colleen, who is his primary contact. He also has repeated interactions with the programs director, a Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright). He eventually comes to suspect that he's not actually "alive," as most people would understand it. Dr. Rutledge explains that his body is dead and being sustained on life support, but that a narrow portion of his brain is working and this is what allows the Source Code project to work. Colter, as he comes to terms with what's happening, makes Colleen and Dr. Rutledge promise to let him die once he completes this mission. They agree. We quickly realize that Colleen meant it, but Dr. Rutledge was just leading Colter on. This then leads to the juxtaposition of the film. (Spoilers!) Colter identifies the bomber and relays this information to the Source Code team. Colter is then told by Dr. Rutledge that the Source Code project will continue with him as he is the first person they've been able to find success with. Colter is upset about this, and so is Colleen. This is also where the movie takes a turn that will turn off some people. Colter begs Colleen to send him back one last time and give him just one opportunity to save those onboard the train and foil the bombing wiht the information he's gathered. Colter goes back, makes a move on Christina, stops the bomber, successfully detains the bomber and notifies police. Colter then returns to his seat and proceeds to use his knowledge of the passengers to create a situation where everyone on the train is happy, in case his efforts are ultimately successful. Colter then kisses Christina as the time strikes for the bombs detonation. At that moment, Colleen pushes the button to end the life support on Colter's deceased body. When the kiss ends, Colter realizes he was successful, he's alive in a different body in the altered timeline. He and Christina then spend the day playing hookie together. The movie ends with Colter texting Colleen as she reports to work in the morning to continue working the Source Code Project. Colter tells her the project is more successful than she or Dr. Rutledge could possibly know and that together they've successfully foiled a bomb plot and altered the course of time. But this is also where the movie falls apart. As Colleen is reading this text she's standing in the office of the project, Dr. Rutledge is relaying information about the bomber to others in law enforcement. There's a paradox that has been created in the timing of things and the film just ends without resolving it. This is ultimately a feel good movie. It's a time paradox movie, but it's wrapped inside a feel good movie. Even though it's retreading stuff from other movies, it feels natural and not excessively derivative. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Monaghan is believeable, the moral strife Colleen experiences is beleivable. I was pleasantly suprised to see that other ratings of this film land in a similar territory to my own reaction. This has a metacritic score of 74 and has an aggregate 7.5 *'s on IMDb. Personally, I rate it 7 *'s. It could have been an 8 if it wasn't for the ending.