After a ferry is bombed in New Orleans, an A.T.F. agent joins a unique investigation using experimental surveillance technology to find the bomber, but soon finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims.
In the wake of a devastating terrorist attack on a slow New Orleans ferry, A.T.F. special agent Doug Carlin joins an experimental top-secret government program to find the bomber. Designed to bend the very fabric of time, this state-of-the-art technology enables the user to observe a detailed representation of what happened four days and six hours in the past, tracking the target's every move prior to the attack. However, the man responsible for the deadly explosion is bound to strike again. Can Carlin figure out who he is, when he is always precisely four days behind?—Nick Riganas
A ferry filled with crewmen from the USS Nimitz and their families was blown up in New Orleans on Mardi Gras. BATF Doug Carlin is brought in to assist in the massive investigation, and gets attached to an experimental FBI surveillance unit, one that uses spacefolding technology to directly look back a little over four days into the past. While tracking down the bomber, Carlin gets an idea in his head: could they use the device to actually travel back in time and not only prevent the bombing but also the murder of a local woman whose truck was used in the bombing?—ahmetkozan
After an explosion on a ferry kills over 500 people including a large group of party-going sailors, an ATF agent investigates the crime. AN FBI agent also joins the investigation. Impressed with the ATF agent's skills, the FBI agent invites him to join a new team that has a new program that uses satellite technology to look backwards in time for 4-1/2 days to try to capture the terrorist. Meanwhile a young woman who was burned washes up on shore. Meant to look like part of the explosion, the body arrives at its location too soon, which leads the agents to believe her death is related to the explosion. As they use the new technology to study the woman, the ATF agent determines that this is not satellite imagery but somehow is using a time warp.—John Sacksteder <[email protected]>
When a bomb explodes on a ferry boat in New Orleans, special operatives from the FBI and ATF come to the scene, including ATF agent Doug Carlin. After viewing satellite surveillance, Carlin also stumbles upon a woman named Claire Kuchever, who has been murdered shortly before the Ferry incident. Carlin also finds out that he can use the surveillance systems to travel backwards in time. So, he time warps 4 days before the Ferry incident, so he can stop Claire's murder, and to stop the Ferry incident.—John Wiggins
In Algiers, New Orleans, an explosion of a ferry transporting sailors from the USS Nimitz and their families on a Mardi Gras excursion causes 543 casualties. Lonely ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) is assigned to investigate the terrorist attack. He is informed by Sheriff Reed (John McConnell) about the corpse of a woman, Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton), that washed up on shore. Her body was found one hour before the explosion but burnt with the same explosive. The agents believe that her death was meant to look like part of the explosion, but the body arrived too soon. Doug also learns that his partner, Agent Larry Minuti (Matt Craven), was evidently killed in the bombing.
Doug finds that Claire had explosive discharge all over her body, similar to the bombing. She is connected to the case somehow. He visits her home & finds that he got a call from her number that very morning & he had called her back, most likely after she was dead/killed. He finds blood-stained rags, a gun & a message "U can save her" on her fridge. Her SUV is missing and is suspected to have been used to blow up the ferry.
Doug is invited by FBI Agent Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) to join an experimental surveillance team led by Jack McCready (Bruce Greenwood). he is told about a technology that can provide this type of live surveillance from four days ago (4 days, 6 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds) via a system of satellites, that takes four days to assemble the information so that it can be viewed just one time.
Doug directs them to focus on the mysterious dead woman, Claire Kuchever, and follow. Claire writes about "being watched" in her diary, which Doug holds and reads four days later, after it was collected as evidence from her apartment. She receives a call from the terrorist, asking about purchasing her car. However, she will be busy when he wants to meet, so they do not make a deal. As the surveillance continues, Doug suddenly raises a laser pointer and directs it at the viewing screen. She sees it and reacts to it. The viewing room system goes down completely, with several people shouting, "who breached the field?!"
Doug knows that the images are not from the dead past because Claire reacted to the laser light. The scientists tell him about an Einstein-Rosen bridge, or space folding technology. Dr. Denny (Adam Goldberg) shows a piece of paper and then folding it to bring two points together. Doug asks why could they not send themselves back, but they explain any living organism would arrive dead.
Nothing can be sent back - gerbils, all sorts of experimental animals have arrived dead. Attempting to "breach the field" causes failures of the local power grid. A major blackout of most of the central US, that was blamed on Canada, was actually the fault of operator Gunnar's (Elden Henson). However, they eventually agree to try to send a small piece of paper back in time to warn Carlin himself, as an anonymous tip, where the terrorist will be waiting to arrange his car deal. The scientists chatter about different time paradox theories. Operator Shanti (Erika Alexander) draws a diagram showing a "branching" theory - a new time-line is created with the new event (the appearance of the paper), and the old time-line ceases to exist. However, Dr. Denny insists it won't change anything. Shanti likens it to throwing a pebble into water, causing ripples ... but Dr. Denny says the flow of time is more like the Mississippi. Any change will simply heal itself, in the long run.
They prepare the message and send it back. Unfortunately, their timing is off. Before the message appears, Doug (in the past) finishes an argument with his partner Larry and walks out of his office. Afterward, Larry spots the paper on Carlin's desk and leaves to follow the tip which places the bomber at the ferry dock. The team cringes as they realize they have sent Larry to his death. They focus now on the dock, hoping to get a good picture of the terrorist so that they can find him. His picture is put into a computer to compare it with mug shots, looking for a match.
Larry meets the terrorist, is shot and apparently killed. Larry is dragged into the terrorist's vehicle, and he drives away with him. As they follow him, the viewing team exclaims that he is leaving their viewing area and will soon be out of reach. Doug fires up the HumVee that contains the mobile viewing rig, giving chase in the present so that the past in that area can be seen. After an accident, the rig is damaged so that Doug cannot see the past through it, but the base team can. They shout instructions directing him. He follows the trail to a burned-out fishing camp on the bayou. There is an ambulance crashed into the remains of the main building, but in the past, the terrorist has taken Larry out back. Pryzwarra gulps that the terrorist is pouring "accelerant" (fuel) on Larry's body. In the present, Carlin can see the remains of a fire on the pavement. Doug realizes that they are about to witness a murder. Unfortunately, Larry regains consciousness and is shot one last time before his body is set on fire. Doug sees some movement in water nearby and opens a trapdoor to reveal some alligators devouring what appear to be Larry's remains.
They all discuss what happened over the phone, they realize that all they did was changed how Larry died. Doug points out that the terrorist still needs a vehicle for his bombing, because there are bullet holes in the one he'd planned to use. That means the terrorist will need Claire's car, meaning that by changing one thing they didn't change anything. Doug continues to examine the site. Inside the building, looking through the burned debris. In a crack, he finds a small item which he recognizes as Claire's. He kisses it and pockets it. The computer search comes up with a match on the terrorist's picture - Carroll Oerstadt (Jim Caviezel). He is captured and brought in for questioning. Discussing his past with Doug, it seems the military rejected him twice, finding him mentally unstable.
McCready advises the team that they are shutting down, having caught the perpetrator. Doug is frustrated - for once he would like to do more than catch the bad guy afterwards - he'd like to stop the bad guy before it happens. He stops at Claire's house and sees the magnets on the refrigerator spell out, "u can save her".
Dr. Denny agrees to help Doug attempt to travel into the past. Doug strips down to his undershirt and boxers and climbs into the small transport area, hugging his knees. Denny reminds Doug that his heart will be stopped by the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) of the system - if he is not revived, he will simply die. He arrives four days in the past, on an empty gurney in a hospital operating room. Seeing his jolting body, doctors rush to treat him. When they cut away his shirt, they read the words "Revive Me" written on his skin. He awakens later in a hospital room, steals some clothes, and grabs a bouquet of flowers to carry for camouflage. Outside the hospital, he steals an ambulance and drives out to the fish camp, where Claire is tied up with a bag over her head.
Trying to fight her captor, Oerstadt, she rakes his face with her nails. Furious, Oerstadt douses her with gasoline. Doug crashes the ambulance directly into the building where they are. Oerstadt shoots Doug in the shoulder but then flees.
Doug takes Claire home to clean up. He looks around her apartment, seeing all of the details that he has seen through the viewer and also from the investigation after her death. He shifts the refrigerator magnets to spell "u can save her". While he is cleaning up, she comes out wearing the red and white dress in which she died. He tells her to change, stating that is what "the victim" wore. He reaches into a wardrobe for clothing - and she pulls a gun on him, stating that he cannot be what he claims, pointing out his familiarity with her house and the fact that he has asked her no questions. She calls the ATF, and they confirm his existence and appearance, but she demands to know more. He says, "What if you had to tell someone the most important thing in the world, but you knew they'd never believe you?" She says, "I'd try." After explaining, she helps bandage his shoulder.
While having his injuries treated, Doug realizes that many of things he saw in the present version of Claire's apartment were from him. The bloody rags and towel, the magnets with the message and the phone call that he received. Doug realizes that he had already traveled back in time and had failed to stop the bombing.
They go to the ferry, where he will defuse the bomb and Claire is supposed to tell the guards what is happening. Unfortunately, when Oerstadt leaves the ferry and sees Claire's truck, he knows he has a problem, so he returns to the ferry. Claire sees this and jumps aboard also, just as the ship leaves the dock. Doug returns to the bomb-laden vehicle to find Claire in it, handcuffed to the steering wheel, with her mouth taped shut. Doug stuns Oerstadt into a standoff by throwing his own words (from the interrogation) at him: destiny, patriotism and collateral damage. Rather than surrendering, Doug jumps into the car with Claire and gets her to ram Oerstadt where he stands in front of another car. At that exact moment Doug shoots and kills him as he had loaded a bullet into the chamber after removing the magazine.
However, the car is still wired to explode, and there is no time to defuse it nor explain all of this to the guards. Doug directs her to drive the vehicle off the ferry and into the water. As they submerge, he kicks out the windshield and jerks the steering wheel out of the column so that she can swim free to the surface. Unfortunately, the ferry continues overhead, rolling the vehicle over and crushing the frame so that Doug cannot escape. Claire makes it to the surface, gasping, and is pulled out of the water. The car is completely filled with water, and Doug hammers futilely on the side window, holding his breath. The ferry safely passes. The vehicle explodes underwater, sending a fireball of debris up in the air. Now ashore and wrapped in a blanket, Claire cries over Doug's death.
The officials ask Claire if she would talk to an agent from the ATF. She turns ... and sees Doug (from the present) walking up to her. She stammers in shock, and he asks if they have met. As they get into his car to leave, she repeats his words from earlier in the film, "What if you had to tell someone the most important thing in the world, but you knew they'd never believe you?" And he unwittingly echoes her earlier response, "I'd try."
