Director: Morten Tyldum

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong & Matthew Goode

Running Time: 114 mins

Release date: 14 Nov, 2014 (UK)

Worldwide Gross: N/A

 

 

 

 

Basic Plot:

 

Based on the true story of Alan Turing (Cumberbatch); the brilliant mathematician who broke the German Army’s Enigma code during the darkest days of World War Two. The film spans multiple periods of Turing’s life from his chaste teenage crush at boarding school, to his work at Bletchley Park breaking Enigma and beginning the early stages of computer science, to his conviction for homosexuality in 1952. Turing faces adversity from fellow code breaker Hugh Alexander (Goode) and Commander Denniston (Charles Dance) while trying desperately to break Enigma. However it is Turing who has more secrets than any of them.

 

Clock Watching? 17/20

 

The Imitation Game is a frustrating film to review. Aesthetically it gets everything right. It’s a beautiful, absorbing recreation of 1940s Bletchley Park anchored by a compelling performance by Cumberbatch. Like The Social Network (2010) and 12 Angry Men (1957) it manages to make groups of men performing a mundane task in the same room something utterly captivating. The conflicts between Turing, his team and his superiors are filled with anxious tension reinforced by the knowledge that lives depend on their work.

 

However, the frustrating part is that any sense of narrative flow or engagement is ruined by the film’s determination to shift back and forth across time periods. The series of transitions feel completely inorganic and even the best editor would struggle to prevent the jarring sense that they produce.

 

Oscar Performances? 20/20

 

It goes without saying that Cumberbatch is going to receive a ton of awards buzz for this! In Alan Turing he is able to mine the best qualities of BBC’s Sherlock, such as the casually delivered intellectualisms and smug superiority. Unlike the great detective though, Turing is tempered by internal conflicts, a clear physical discomfort to others that makes him wholly sympathetic. Every scene of Turing at work has a sense of desperation about it, with the knowledge of the weight of the task he has taken on. Turing knows what each struggle and each triumph means for him, and ultimately means for the world. Easily the best scene comes after Turing’s victory over Enigma, when he then realises he must allow innocent lives to die to protect the fact that he has cracked the code.

 

Knightley, likewise. makes a great turn as Joan Clark, the cryptanalyst whom Turing courted at Bletchley Park to protect his secret. What initially seems like a thankless task in the shadow of a legend becomes a nuanced portrayal of a driven woman struggling with the gender conventions of the era. Clark is determined, resolute and witty but also clearly affected by the role both Turing and her family play in her life. Knightley’s vulnerability shines through making her a shoe in for a Best Supporting nod next year.

 

What is particularly great is how even the small roles stand out. Matthew Goode, for example, as the slick, charming but gifted Hugh Alexander, whom frequently butts heads with Turing. Mark Strong brings his usual stern, villainy to Major General Menzies but carries the quiet confidence of a man who has all the answers. And Rory Kinnear perfectly captures the role of Turing’s antagonist as an equally conflicted man - at first seeming like the usual ambitious detective looking for the crowning case in his career only to realise that Turing’s conviction for indecency is not the crown he wishes to bear.

 

Lights, Camera, Direction? 18/20

 

Tyldum’s Bletchley Park is every bit the quaint English period piece setting. All red-brick barns and dark, oaky pubs. The costumes are good enough that, on Kiera Knightley’s head, blue velvet hats could easily make a comeback. It also has to be said that the war footage, tinted with the grainy resolution of the time makes for a nice touch. The scenes of battle and wartime destruction are fleeting, like something Turing is only vaguely aware of, but affecting nonetheless.

 

Tell a Friend? 17/20

 

The Imitation Game is a film that aims high, that trusts its audience to watch entire scenes built around men pouring over paperwork or adjusting machinery. Turing’s story should be heard by everyone and comes heartily recommended, but it might not be for everyone.

 

Again? 19/20

 

For once this year’s Oscar-bait period piece is something wholly fresh and compelling. Full of well-performed character drama, charm and a fair number of funny lines, The Imitation Game is easily worth another viewing.

 

Total: 91%

 

A powerful war film and character piece with a knock out performance from Cumberbatch, who must be destined for Oscar glory.

 

by Liam Macloed