During World War II, the Nazis used a complex coded communication method that reset every 24 hours, making it seemingly impossible to decode. Alan Turing, a socially-handicapped Cambridge professor and legitimate genius, led a team of brilliant mathematicians whose mission was to crack the code and win the war. The Imitation Game is sure to become a classic in the coming years, as it's one of the best biopics you will ever see.
Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC's Sherlock) knocks it out of the park with his highest profile leading role to date. He earned an academy award nomination for his focused, at times funny, sympathetic, and tragic portrayal of Alan Turing. The Cambridge professor may have gone on to become the father of computer science, but that doesn't mean he was easy to get along with, or even likable. His unconventional methods and behavior drew the ire of his fellow mathematicians, in addition to the stern and intimidating Commander Dennison (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones). Eventually, he tempers his arrogance and wins over his colleagues (the commander excluded), who (contrary to his initial belief) provide invaluable assistance in breaking the Nazi code and winning the war. Turing's time at Bletchley Park is fraught with conspiracy, agonizing decisions, betrayals, secrets, and the end of his story is sure to leave the audience legitimately heartbroken.
To give each member of the supporting cast individual praise would take up too much space in this review, but it's safe to say that all cast members, especially Turing and his friends/colleagues, have excellent chemistry and are each given ample time to shine. Aside from Charles Dance, the most notable supporting roles come from Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) and Kiera Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean). Leech nails his first major film role as John Cairncross, a mathematician on Turing's team who shows his loyalty to him right off the bat and sympathy for his struggles. The feisty Joan Clarke is seemingly the best of both worlds (a genius and socially adept), but Knightley's portrayal, while delightful, may not quite convince the audience she had a double first in mathematics at Cambridge.
Despite covering a complex and intellectual topic, the film gracefully glides between the main story and two other plots. Thanks to its Oscar-nominated editing, The Imitation Game keeps audiences equally invested in the main story, Turing's troubled time at boarding school, and when he's under investigation for "indecency" (the term used when homosexuality was illegal) a few years after the end of World War II.
The Imitation Game is possibly the best film of 2014. 10/10
Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC's Sherlock) knocks it out of the park with his highest profile leading role to date. He earned an academy award nomination for his focused, at times funny, sympathetic, and tragic portrayal of Alan Turing. The Cambridge professor may have gone on to become the father of computer science, but that doesn't mean he was easy to get along with, or even likable. His unconventional methods and behavior drew the ire of his fellow mathematicians, in addition to the stern and intimidating Commander Dennison (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones). Eventually, he tempers his arrogance and wins over his colleagues (the commander excluded), who (contrary to his initial belief) provide invaluable assistance in breaking the Nazi code and winning the war. Turing's time at Bletchley Park is fraught with conspiracy, agonizing decisions, betrayals, secrets, and the end of his story is sure to leave the audience legitimately heartbroken.
To give each member of the supporting cast individual praise would take up too much space in this review, but it's safe to say that all cast members, especially Turing and his friends/colleagues, have excellent chemistry and are each given ample time to shine. Aside from Charles Dance, the most notable supporting roles come from Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) and Kiera Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean). Leech nails his first major film role as John Cairncross, a mathematician on Turing's team who shows his loyalty to him right off the bat and sympathy for his struggles. The feisty Joan Clarke is seemingly the best of both worlds (a genius and socially adept), but Knightley's portrayal, while delightful, may not quite convince the audience she had a double first in mathematics at Cambridge.
Despite covering a complex and intellectual topic, the film gracefully glides between the main story and two other plots. Thanks to its Oscar-nominated editing, The Imitation Game keeps audiences equally invested in the main story, Turing's troubled time at boarding school, and when he's under investigation for "indecency" (the term used when homosexuality was illegal) a few years after the end of World War II.
The Imitation Game is possibly the best film of 2014. 10/10