A Surprisingly Original Sci-fi Thriller

Rating: 8/10 (5 April 2011)

Source Code is equal parts "Quantum Leap", "12 Monkeys", and "Deja Vu". It has elements of any number of sci-fi thrillers, both classic and modern. And yet, it's one of the most original movies I've seen this year.
Jake Gyllenhaal (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) stars as Colter Stevens, an Air Force pilot who must find the bomber of a passenger train before another, even larger bomb is set off in the city of Chicago. He searches by traveling back in time and entering the mind of a passenger who died on the train. He can only stay for eight minutes at a time, but he can keep returning as often as he needs to; as long as he finds the answer in time.
While his mind travels to the past, his body is locked in a mysterious pod. He communicates with the other members of the Source Code project through video; but most of the communication is practically one-way, as the leader of the project, played by Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale), rarely answers his questions and insists on updates. It's understandable, I suppose, with even more lives at stake, but it doesn't do much for Stevens' state of mind, which is already strained by the time travel. To make things even more complicated, Stevens' begins to fall for one of the passengers, played by Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Gone Baby Gone).
The movie does a wonderful job of building and holding the suspense. The mystery of the bomber's identity is hardly the only mystery that needs to be solved. Who is Colter Stevens, really? How did he become part of the Source Code project? Can he change the fates of everyone, or anyone, who died on the train? What will his fate be if he fails? What will be his fate if he succeeds? The acting is another gem for this film. Jake Gyllenhaal demonstrates his range as he plays a man increasingly frustrated with the dual tasks of saving lives and discovering his own status. Monaghan is a delight to watch, as she always is, and the chemistry between the two doesn't feel at all forced, as it so often does in thrillers with romantic subplots. Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, Orphan) plays a sympathetic Air Force captain who tries to guide Stevens through his mission, and even support him when he uncovers the truth about how and why he was chosen for it.
If there is a difference between derivative and unoriginal, then Source Code sets the standard for defining it. The ending, I felt, may have been a bridge too far, but that doesn't change the fact that, in a culture of remakes, sequels, and adaptations, this is one of the few movies that can stand on its own merits. There are elements, as I've written, from several different sci-fi stories, and yet they are weaved together into a surprisingly original thriller.
(Originally appeared at http://fourthdayuniverse.com/reports)