Review of The Imitation Game (1980) by Jonathan B — 07 Jul 2015
A biopic that just has class written all over it, The Imitation Game is based on the life of computer pioneer Alan Turing and the efforts he and his colleagues at Bletchley Park went to in order to crack the Nazi Enigma code.
As well as the war-time story, the movie jumps backwards and forwards in time to show us Turing's unhappy school days and his arrest and enforced drug treatment to cure his homosexuality in the early 1950s.
Turing himself is portrayed as a difficult, socially awkward man with a genius that few of his contemporaries could grasp. Played magnificently by Benedict Cumberbatch the script doesn't try to make this brilliant man more palatable but rather allows his brilliance and vulnerability to explain his lack of empathy with his co-workers.
With the introduction of the character of Joan, Turing finds a confidant on a similar level intellectually and her influence gradually softens his attitude and nature. Turing's story is one of brilliance and utter tragedy.
Without doubt he is one of the great heroes of the second world war and it is dreadful that he was treated so shabbily due to the dogma of a less inclusive Britain in the post-war era. This is a flawless piece of cinema where all those involved are at the top of their respective games and really seem to care about what appears on the screen.
As well as Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Rory Kinnear, Mark Strong, Charles Dance and the rest of the cast are fantastic with not a poor performance to be seen. The three distinct time periods in which the story takes place are each perfectly realised and have a very authentic feel.
Graham Moore's intelligent script and Morten Tyldum's stylish direction make for an exciting movie which has moments which are genuinely nail-biting and others that are heart-wrenching. In 2013, Turing rightly received a posthumous Royal pardon for his conviction and his legacy, both in terms of the lives he helped to save and his computing genius, are finally being recognised.
As part of this process, I am sure that The Imitation Game will go a long way in raising the profile of this badly treated, brilliant man.
This review of The Imitation Game (1980) was written by Jonathan B on 07 Jul 2015.
The Imitation Game has generally received very positive reviews.
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