Life is pretty confusing for Capt. Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), a decorated combat helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, who suddenly wakes up in the body of someone named Sean Fentress. Recalling both Groundhog Day and Minority Report, director Duncan Jones' sophomore follow-up to Moon is another suspenseful, sci-fi mind-bender. Here, Stevens has become an integral part of a government mission using a time-and-space manipulating software program called Source Code. His objective: find out who bombed a Chicago commuter train. Towards that end, Stevens has been transplanted back to relive the final eight minutes of Fentress' life—over and over again—gathering clues along the way so that he can identify the culprit and prevent another terrorist attack. Other characters include sinister Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright), who is in charge of the experiment; Capt. Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), Colter's contact; and Christina (Michelle Monaghan), an attractive woman aboard the train who seems to be Fentress/Colter's traveling companion. With each repetition, the race against time becomes more convoluted, as Colter assembles new observations—another man's reflection in the mirror, a spilled cup of coffee, a missing wallet, etc. Along the way, Colter grows increasingly paranoid and is ultimately faced with his own ethical dilemma. A cerebral thriller set within claustrophobic confines, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary (by director Duncan Jones, writer Ben Ripley, and star Jake Gyllenhaal), “Cast Insights,” “Focal Points” animated shorts, a trivia track, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an interactive picture-in-picture “Access” mode that incorporates the aforementioned extras. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a decent twisty-turner.] (S. Granger)
Source Code
Summit, 93 min., PG-13, DVD: $26.99, Blu-ray: $30.99, July 26 Volume 26, Issue 4
Source Code
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