An effective sci-fi story with plenty of twists

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2013)

Take a measure of science, add copious science fiction, a few dashes of "Groundhog Day", a touch of "Deja Vu" and "Premonition", and presto you have Source Code.
The first minutes of this film, eight minutes in story time, are a little edgy, uneasy, as if the actors are not sure where things are going, and I am captivated. Slowly a difficult first experience is made easier as the film reveals a deliciously inventive plot and sub-plot. And our main characters play it out so extraordinarily cleverly as the explanations for early clumsiness come thick and fast. And that is one of the exceptional talents of this film as it changes up the gears but keeps the suspense lingering right the way through.
The editing, cinematography and soundtrack are very well done, and the sets are a work of art. Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan and Jake Gyllenhaal are excellent and there is very good support from elsewhere too, as things rev up towards the final fifteen minutes or so.
There are bound to be a few people who'll point out the impossibility, scientifically, of what we see, but remember they'll only be correct through what we think we know, not what we may come to learn. And this film does its own thinking on its feet to come up with a clever, and somewhat unpredictable, ending.
This is more than worth a watch especially if you are feeling down and out. A classy eight out of ten.