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Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'Source Code'

(KCBS) - KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl reviews this mindgame thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Source Code (PG-13)
From October Sky to Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal has long been an actor with the ability to anchor a film with his soulful sincerity. Even in this mindgame thriller, he manages to keep it real with credibility while in a race against time. This is one of those time reassignment sci-fi tales that just takes you on a ride, better not to think about logic, just enjoy the trip. Gyllenhaal is a much decorated helicopter pilot, who wakes up on a commuter train bound for Chicago. Something really weird is going on. His surroundings and even his mirror image make no sense, and soon he finds himself on a mission to locate a terrorist about to destroy his train. Two terrific actors show up to guide him on a bizarre military experiment: Jeffrey Wright and Vera Farmiga. There's pseudo science and all kinds of chatter about sensory experience, but best not to ponder all that. Gyllenhaal manages to convey paranoia and disorientation, combined with pacing and popcorn fun, to make it an escapist good time at the movies.

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DVD/HOME VIDEO: MADE IN DAGENHAM, FAIR GAME, TANGLED, BLACK SWAN

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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