An ethical journey into basic emotions

Rating: 8/10 (26 April 2011)

"Source code" is a complex movie. It has been described as an action movie with a twist, exploring a territory similar to "Inception". Although it is partly that, I see "Source code" more as a very original journey into basic emotions.
Indeed, "Source code" is more "Groundhog day" with a twist than an action movie. The plot in a nutshell: Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a marine whose last memories are fighting in Afghanistan, who wakes up in the body of an unknown man. This man is travelling on a train leading to an unknown city. Looking at his reflection on the window, Colter sees the face of a stranger, rather than his own.
That must be an extremely scary experience, but worst is to follow. The train explodes sending Colter into a capsule, where he is debriefed by a female officer. She tries to convince him that some unlikely science can connect him to the last eight minutes of memories of a guy named Sean who died on the explosion and that his job is to go back to the train until he can find the terrorist who planted the bomb.
This set up is intriguing, albeit highly unlikely, except in SF world. But what gives away the real plot is the fact that Sean is travelling with an attractive female friend, named Christina, and very quickly Colter's mission turns into trying to save her, while getting to know her better.
The terrorist plot can easily be left aside. Indeed, it is left aside also in the movie, as anybody can easily guess who the terrorist is. The viewer should focus more on what is really going on with Colter and Christina. They both are likable characters and we hope against "logic" that there might be a future for them. The investigation part of the plot fades in the background, while we start rooting for the main characters and hoping their lives will somehow be spared.
Luckily, being this a SF movie, logic can be easily defeated. Another twist of the improbable science could send the epilogue into a direction more convenient for Colter and Christina. And still, we are left doubting about what really happened and in which dimension.