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Plot - Alan Turing (Cumberbatch) was a mathematics and cryptanalyst genius who was arrested in 1952 on charges of being homosexual. And for many years that was all the world at large knew of him. What was only revealed many years later was the incredible part he played in the Allied forces emerging victorious in the second World War. This film depicts Turing's attempts at decrypting the seemingly unbreakable Enigma machine that the Nazis were using to send messages and orders. Put in charge of a team of code-breakers that consists of mathematicians, linguists and chess champions he was in a race against time to decipher these messages and help turn the tide of the War in the favour of Britain and its allies.
In terms of how I'd sum this film up I'd probably throw it a bit of a backhanded compliment and describe it as 'a nice film'. While there's certainly elements in here to like, and the majority of the the film is well made, not many of them would I describe as being truly great. A number of people have complained, or at the very least noted, that The Imitation Game doesn't feel particularly cinematic; that it more resembles a BBC drama. And I do think that's a fair assessment, I'd say that it is does often look and feel more like a TV presentation, though a very classy one at that. There is one facet however that I feel jumps above everything else and is indeed able to feel very cinematic, and that is the central performance of Benedict Cumberbatch.
I thought that Cumberbatch did a really quite terrific job of bringing Alan Turing to the screen. Now admittedly I don't know how Turing himself sounded or acted so I don't know how technically accurate his portrayal of the man was. But in terms of inhabiting the 'character' that we are presented with here I think he does a grand job. His Turing is just such an awkward and guarded individual, as you would be if you had to hide who you were for your entire life. Throughout the entire film, for pretty much every second of its running time, I just saw such an incredible sadness and pain in his face and behind his eyes. I often found it quite heartbreaking just to look at him, especially the closer the film gets to its conclusion. Cumberbatch's performance certainly seems informed by and gives weight to the retrospective theories that some people have been presented that Turing may well have been somewhere on the Autisistic spectrum, possibly having Asperger's Syndrome.
To give him a modern day equivalent I'd probably look at The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper Yes that's right I'm reducing this multi-Oscar nominated film about a great man to the level of a sitcom. Deal with it!
Just as with his superhero-loving counterpart, Alan Turing possesses an exceptional intellect, capable of solving any number of complex, mind-bending equations and problems. And yet the most natural and basic of things such as just interacting with people can leave him completely baffled. In fact the most meaningful connection he appears to form is actually with a machine, his Enigma decoder which he names Christopher. The only flesh and bone individual that he really forms some kind of connection with is Joan Clarke as played by Keira Knightley. A large part of this (at least to me) seems to be that he can empathise with her and her struggles to be accepted for what she is. Just as he would not be accepted by society if people learned of his homosexuality, she is judged and minimised for the simple fact that she's a woman. She just wants to put her great mind to productive use but is under the pressure of expectations that she should only be a wife and mother.
The Imitation Game really is a showcase for Cumberbatch. The characters who surround him have very little in the way of depth, each only there for his Alan Turing to bounce off of in some way as is frequently the case when it comes to biopics. Throughout the film it never really stuck me as a major problem however, largely as a result of the impressive ensemble that makes up the supporting cast; Matthew Goode, Charles Dance and Mark Strong all do solid work. I also have to single out Alex Lawther who played the young Alan Turing during flashbacks to his school days. For someone so young and with so little acting experience I thought his efforts were very impressive and poignant in what was an important part of Turing's story in terms of crafting the man he would become. Alongside Cumberbatch the other performer getting the most plaudits and securing a clutch of acting nominations is Keira Knightley, though in this case I'd say it's a bit more surprising. I think she's very good in the film, no doubt about that, but she's not really given a great deal to work with so such an outlay of praise seems a little strange.
The film is directed by Norwegian helmer, Morten Tyldum, in what is his English language debut. I rarely found myself overly aware or dazzled by his work but in general he handles the film in a very efficient manner. Probably the most impressive aspect of his direction is his ability to introduce a level of tension to proceedings. While the war may be at the very heart of the film's goings-on you're not going to get any action here; no explosions, no bullets, no bombs. And yet I felt he was still able to imbue the struggles of Turing and co. with a real sense of suspense, as well as a thrilling burst of excitement when they finally achieve their goal and break the unbreakable code.
It may have been Tyldum's English language debut but he at least had some experience back in his native country. For the film's writer, Graham Moore, this was actually the first feature he had ever written. Previous to this he had only written two shorts and one single episode of the “10 Things I Hate About You” TV show. Given that it's his first feature film it perhaps shouldn't come as much of a surprise that his script does have a tendency to hew rather closely to the genre conventions and cliches that are common with films of this nature. There are several scenes in here that we've seen countless times before. Outside of that however I think it's pretty solid work from Moore. He has the film unfold predominantly during the war and focusing on Turing's efforts to crack Enigma. Throughout the film however we get flashbacks to childhood experiences at school and jumps forward that revolve around his prosecution for indecency. This structure of jumping back and forth in time I thought actually worked very well. I also think he captures a decent balance between Turing's personal drama and the wider world issues at play. Though there was the odd occasion where I felt he failed to really dig into the possible drama of certain situations.
Now outside of Benedict Cumberbatch's performance you could argue that the greatest attribute of The Imitation Game is not actually to be found within the film at all. No, perhaps the best part of The Imitation Game is the increased awareness and recognition the film should bring to the story of Alan Turing. In addition to his undeniable genius this man was a true hero. Every so often you get these countdowns of the 'Greatest Ever Britons', with Winston Churchill more often than not topping each and every list. And a large reason for that was the part he played in Britain's resistance and eventual victory during World War II. Well with his decoding of the Enigma machine you could easily argue that Alan Turing was the most important individual of the entire war effort (even Churchill himself said that Turing made the single biggest contribution of anyone to the Allies victory). And yet during his life, and even for a substantial time following his untimely death, he did not receive the recognition he so richly deserved. Instead he was prosecuted for being gay under the charge of 'indecency' and was forced to undergo chemical castration as an alternative to prison until he committed suicide in 1954. It is a truly shameful chapter to a shameful period in Britain's history. And even if this film were made for no other reason than to celebrate this man, then I think that alone would be reason enough.
Conclusion - Outside of those that make up the voting committees on awards shows I'm not sure how many people will see this as a truly 'special' film as may be indicated by its substantial success at those aforementioned award shows. What The Imitation Game does have however is a performance that is certainly approaching being special in a film about a man who was without a doubt special. These two men, Cumberbatch and Turing, make this a worthy and worthwhile experience. And fair play to those involved for not making it as blatant an example of Oscar bait as you may expect. I didn't feel it was anywhere near as pompous or overbearing as you might expect, instead finding it to be a touch more humble and genuine than that.
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Year of release
2014
Directed by
Morten Tyldum
Written by
Graham Moore
Starring
Benedict Cumberbatch
Keira Knightley
Matthew Goode
Mark Strong
Charles Dance
Allen Leach
The Imitation Game
+
2014
Directed by
Morten Tyldum
Written by
Graham Moore
Starring
Benedict Cumberbatch
Keira Knightley
Matthew Goode
Mark Strong
Charles Dance
Allen Leach
The Imitation Game
+
Plot - Alan Turing (Cumberbatch) was a mathematics and cryptanalyst genius who was arrested in 1952 on charges of being homosexual. And for many years that was all the world at large knew of him. What was only revealed many years later was the incredible part he played in the Allied forces emerging victorious in the second World War. This film depicts Turing's attempts at decrypting the seemingly unbreakable Enigma machine that the Nazis were using to send messages and orders. Put in charge of a team of code-breakers that consists of mathematicians, linguists and chess champions he was in a race against time to decipher these messages and help turn the tide of the War in the favour of Britain and its allies.
In terms of how I'd sum this film up I'd probably throw it a bit of a backhanded compliment and describe it as 'a nice film'. While there's certainly elements in here to like, and the majority of the the film is well made, not many of them would I describe as being truly great. A number of people have complained, or at the very least noted, that The Imitation Game doesn't feel particularly cinematic; that it more resembles a BBC drama. And I do think that's a fair assessment, I'd say that it is does often look and feel more like a TV presentation, though a very classy one at that. There is one facet however that I feel jumps above everything else and is indeed able to feel very cinematic, and that is the central performance of Benedict Cumberbatch.
I thought that Cumberbatch did a really quite terrific job of bringing Alan Turing to the screen. Now admittedly I don't know how Turing himself sounded or acted so I don't know how technically accurate his portrayal of the man was. But in terms of inhabiting the 'character' that we are presented with here I think he does a grand job. His Turing is just such an awkward and guarded individual, as you would be if you had to hide who you were for your entire life. Throughout the entire film, for pretty much every second of its running time, I just saw such an incredible sadness and pain in his face and behind his eyes. I often found it quite heartbreaking just to look at him, especially the closer the film gets to its conclusion. Cumberbatch's performance certainly seems informed by and gives weight to the retrospective theories that some people have been presented that Turing may well have been somewhere on the Autisistic spectrum, possibly having Asperger's Syndrome.
To give him a modern day equivalent I'd probably look at The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper Yes that's right I'm reducing this multi-Oscar nominated film about a great man to the level of a sitcom. Deal with it!
Just as with his superhero-loving counterpart, Alan Turing possesses an exceptional intellect, capable of solving any number of complex, mind-bending equations and problems. And yet the most natural and basic of things such as just interacting with people can leave him completely baffled. In fact the most meaningful connection he appears to form is actually with a machine, his Enigma decoder which he names Christopher. The only flesh and bone individual that he really forms some kind of connection with is Joan Clarke as played by Keira Knightley. A large part of this (at least to me) seems to be that he can empathise with her and her struggles to be accepted for what she is. Just as he would not be accepted by society if people learned of his homosexuality, she is judged and minimised for the simple fact that she's a woman. She just wants to put her great mind to productive use but is under the pressure of expectations that she should only be a wife and mother. The Imitation Game really is a showcase for Cumberbatch. The characters who surround him have very little in the way of depth, each only there for his Alan Turing to bounce off of in some way as is frequently the case when it comes to biopics. Throughout the film it never really stuck me as a major problem however, largely as a result of the impressive ensemble that makes up the supporting cast; Matthew Goode, Charles Dance and Mark Strong all do solid work. I also have to single out Alex Lawther who played the young Alan Turing during flashbacks to his school days. For someone so young and with so little acting experience I thought his efforts were very impressive and poignant in what was an important part of Turing's story in terms of crafting the man he would become. Alongside Cumberbatch the other performer getting the most plaudits and securing a clutch of acting nominations is Keira Knightley, though in this case I'd say it's a bit more surprising. I think she's very good in the film, no doubt about that, but she's not really given a great deal to work with so such an outlay of praise seems a little strange.
Film Trivia Snippets - Benedict Cumberbatch has admitted that while filming one of the film's final scenes he could not stop crying and just broke down. In the process of inhabiting the character and getting into his mind he “had grown incredibly fond of the character and thinking what he had suffered and how that had affected him” brought about this reaction. /// On the 27th of November, just ahead of the film's US release, The New York Times reprinted the original 1942 crossword puzzle from The Daily Telegraph used in recruiting code breakers at Bletchley Park during World War II. Entrants who solve the puzzle can mail in their results for a chance to win a trip for two to London and a tour of the famous Bletchley Park facilities. In addition the film's official website allows visitors to unlock exclusive content by solving crossword puzzles that Turing himself had conceived during his lifetime./// In it's review of the film,The New York Times has indicated a parental warning for "advanced mathematics." The complete notice reads, ""The Imitation Game" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Illicit sex, cataclysmic violence and advanced math, most of it mentioned rather than shown." /// Mark Strong plays the character of Stewart Menzies, the head of MI6. The real Stewart Menzies was actually the inspiration for James Bond's boss, M (as in Menzies). While it's unknown if they ever actually met, Ian Fleming's espionage work during the war means that at the very least he would have been aware of Menzies. /// Alan Turing is shown running on various occasions and although never mentioned in the movie, he was a world class distance runner with a personal marathon time of 2:46:03, achieved in 1946.
It may have been Tyldum's English language debut but he at least had some experience back in his native country. For the film's writer, Graham Moore, this was actually the first feature he had ever written. Previous to this he had only written two shorts and one single episode of the “10 Things I Hate About You” TV show. Given that it's his first feature film it perhaps shouldn't come as much of a surprise that his script does have a tendency to hew rather closely to the genre conventions and cliches that are common with films of this nature. There are several scenes in here that we've seen countless times before. Outside of that however I think it's pretty solid work from Moore. He has the film unfold predominantly during the war and focusing on Turing's efforts to crack Enigma. Throughout the film however we get flashbacks to childhood experiences at school and jumps forward that revolve around his prosecution for indecency. This structure of jumping back and forth in time I thought actually worked very well. I also think he captures a decent balance between Turing's personal drama and the wider world issues at play. Though there was the odd occasion where I felt he failed to really dig into the possible drama of certain situations.
Now outside of Benedict Cumberbatch's performance you could argue that the greatest attribute of The Imitation Game is not actually to be found within the film at all. No, perhaps the best part of The Imitation Game is the increased awareness and recognition the film should bring to the story of Alan Turing. In addition to his undeniable genius this man was a true hero. Every so often you get these countdowns of the 'Greatest Ever Britons', with Winston Churchill more often than not topping each and every list. And a large reason for that was the part he played in Britain's resistance and eventual victory during World War II. Well with his decoding of the Enigma machine you could easily argue that Alan Turing was the most important individual of the entire war effort (even Churchill himself said that Turing made the single biggest contribution of anyone to the Allies victory). And yet during his life, and even for a substantial time following his untimely death, he did not receive the recognition he so richly deserved. Instead he was prosecuted for being gay under the charge of 'indecency' and was forced to undergo chemical castration as an alternative to prison until he committed suicide in 1954. It is a truly shameful chapter to a shameful period in Britain's history. And even if this film were made for no other reason than to celebrate this man, then I think that alone would be reason enough.
Conclusion - Outside of those that make up the voting committees on awards shows I'm not sure how many people will see this as a truly 'special' film as may be indicated by its substantial success at those aforementioned award shows. What The Imitation Game does have however is a performance that is certainly approaching being special in a film about a man who was without a doubt special. These two men, Cumberbatch and Turing, make this a worthy and worthwhile experience. And fair play to those involved for not making it as blatant an example of Oscar bait as you may expect. I didn't feel it was anywhere near as pompous or overbearing as you might expect, instead finding it to be a touch more humble and genuine than that.