A new Sci-Fi thriller from writer Ben Ripley was released April 1st in Canada this year and I had the privilege of giving it a viewing. Directed by UK born Duncan Jones (Moon) and staring American actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga, general audiences are presented with a challenging story about a mans ability to overcome psychological limitations for the greater good of national security.
We begin with Gyllenhaal awaking on a commute train to find himself uncertain of his surroundings and presence. There is an attractive woman sitting accross from him who speaks to him on a level of personal understanding that confuses Gyllenhaal as the context of conversation is lost with our main character. We quickly identify that our protagonist does not know this person and her conversation with him becomes a mystery. She insists that his name is "Shawn" and Gyllenhaal takes moments to get a hold on his predicament. The film throws us a violent conclusion to this scene by destroying the train and killing all of our characters. We begin again as Gyllenhaal awakes in what appears to be some type of capsule. Through video interface he is asked a series of questions about his experience on the train. He is asked to recall any details about the train and most importantly, who planted the bomb. Instructions are given to go back to the train and uncover as many details about the incident to uncover an act of terrorism. As the film continues, the mystery further unravels. This movie is an excellent and intelligent popcorn thriller. It contains solid performances by Gyllenhaal and the overall feel of the film easily draws you into it's drama and mystery. I appreciate films that challenge their audiences and reward them for sticking around. This flick gets a 7.5 out of 10.
We begin with Gyllenhaal awaking on a commute train to find himself uncertain of his surroundings and presence. There is an attractive woman sitting accross from him who speaks to him on a level of personal understanding that confuses Gyllenhaal as the context of conversation is lost with our main character. We quickly identify that our protagonist does not know this person and her conversation with him becomes a mystery. She insists that his name is "Shawn" and Gyllenhaal takes moments to get a hold on his predicament. The film throws us a violent conclusion to this scene by destroying the train and killing all of our characters. We begin again as Gyllenhaal awakes in what appears to be some type of capsule. Through video interface he is asked a series of questions about his experience on the train. He is asked to recall any details about the train and most importantly, who planted the bomb. Instructions are given to go back to the train and uncover as many details about the incident to uncover an act of terrorism. As the film continues, the mystery further unravels. This movie is an excellent and intelligent popcorn thriller. It contains solid performances by Gyllenhaal and the overall feel of the film easily draws you into it's drama and mystery. I appreciate films that challenge their audiences and reward them for sticking around. This flick gets a 7.5 out of 10.
