It’s difficult to make a good review of The imitation game without falling into the spoiler. I had a hard time writing this cos’ it’s not a biopic at use but Morten Tyldum film is based on a true story. The cryptographer‘s Alan Turing history.
The screenplay written by newcomer Graham Moore took the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay based on the book by Andrew Hodges: Alan Turing: The Enigma. First things first real history differs somewhat from the true story of Alan Turing, and what I mean. We are talking about is based on a biography. And I explain at the end of the critical defining the differences between the real and the fictional Turing. Now go for the film.
The film is set in three time levels that are interspersed with each other.
The first is the space of II World War, at the beginning (1939) in which a Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) an expert of puzzle solving, but no fucking German idea, is hired by the British Government to work in a team; whose secret project is to break the secret code behind the unbreakable Nazi machine communication, called Enigma, if they can give the Allies an advantage and possibly even end the war.
The problem is that Enigma is recoded every day, so even if the computer can decipher a coded message transmitted by the Nazis, the code will be obsolete tomorrow. There are 159 billion possible keywords that could be entered into Enigma.
© 2014 – The Weinstein Company
A large-minded man arrogant, antisocial and solitary measure, Alan, is the bane of the existence of the team, especially that of his superior, Commander Denniston (Charles Dance aka Tywin Lannister) and Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode), which is hired as initial team leader. While Hugh and the rest of teamwork to break the codes of everyday life, in the belief that the only way to learn the secret of Enigma, Alan works for itself in the development of a machine, a little artificial intelligence, which he believes is what is required to not only break a code every day, but it shall break any code immediately when introduced into Enigma.
© 2013 – Black Bear Pictures
He has is to convince Alan Denniston to finance the machine to the tune of 100,000 pounds. So take the law into their own hand, he writes a letter to the very Churchill that puts him in control of the team.
The tone of the team changes dramatically with the inclusion of Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), the only woman to access the entrance exam and the first to finish.
Joan not only adds another brilliant mind to the team, but also provides Alan the keys to how to behave socially to achieve the objectives out in a team environment.
Joan’s participation in the project is threatened by the traditional values of their parents, who see their place in the world as someone’s wife until the Turing himself at his house and «tricks» to their parents for she cans still working.
The second time plane is in 1928, when Alan is a young man (Alex Lawther) who attends a boarding school. Even then, he is seen as different and bullying intimidated and suffers because of it. His only real friend at school is Christopher Morcom (Jack Bannon), «Christopher», a name that will eventually lead his famous machine, mostly because Christopher Morcom was his true and «much-loved» friend.
© 2014 – The Weinstein Company
The third is in 1951, after being informed that there has been Alan’s house in Manchester because his neighbor called the police. Since nothing was stolen, Alan is quick to avoid the police. But the principal investigator, Detective Robert Nock (Rory Kinnear) believes that Alan is hiding something dismiss them so quickly. What the police discovered the time has arrived to impact the lives of Alan, but not Nock want first to know what lies beneath the surface information.
© 2014 – The Weinstein Compan
So far the synopsis. So, here I come with review.
First, I’ve to say that Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing. It is totally off her usual character Shelock as point, not giving him the Oscar to Keaton, they could have given it and him, and that its interpretation is much better than Redmayne in The Theory of Everything. I said. It’s masterful, his bow transformation is impressive and transformed into this eccentric genius and rather freaky as if it cost nothing. Conveys his emotions very complex and reaches the viewer without much artifice. Authentic acting intensity filled with numerous shades. 10.
Replication is done by a very correct Keira Knighley. It has a very important role but she also takes advantage too as an actress. It is rather flat. To my left me a little dull in his role Loan. Very awkward and sexy insinuating his own intelligence but Keira is. I do not think it has cost him get into the role.
The story is dramatic and heartbreaking. It has hook and keeps you glued to the screen the 114 minutes that the Thriller. Personally, I think a complicated story to tell and I think (without having read the book) the script is fine but Cumberbach and what it brings, the film would collapse. The photo is average and the band sound more of the same. The realization is elegant but typical of a film of WWII.
The two main storylines Turing’s homosexuality and the Enigma case, which closed with a fixed screen little letters seems a little sad, a bad end to a very good film.
The character of Turing is an expert in freshwater for any director who wants to make a good story and it is a great unknown that far from being admired as a war hero, he was charged and tried for his homosexuality in 1952 sentenced to chemical castration and committed suicide two years after his conviction for indecent behaviour.
«The world needs you as you are»
Here I go with the real Turing and what differs in the film, if it is of interest to someone. Please note that there can be spoiler.
- Christopher Morcom and Turing did not share classroom, in fact Alan’s first love was much older than him.
The «Turing machine» called Bombe not «Christopher» - Two years after the trial, in 1954, died from cyanide poisoning, apparently after eating a bitter apple that didn’t considered a suicide. Lack of evidences. ¿Murder? Who knows?
- Turing was an excellent long-distance runner, a subject that the film seems nothing more than a hobby for give vent to.
- The Polish contribution to the manufacture of the Bombe spends more than unnoticed.
- Turing travelled to the United States in November 1942 and worked with US Navy cryptanalysts in Enigma and built Bombe in Washington.
- Turing had an older brother, John. What the movie is not even mentioned.
- The work of Turing-Good and contribution to «Christopher» is not mentioned, can be found here.
- The actual operation of Enigma can be found here.
- The Bombe had its predecessor, this.
- In 1939, Alan Turing was not came from Cambridge, he came name as a Doctor in Princeton.
However, it is not a bad movie. It’s good, it becomes entertaining and Cumberbach is superb. The script is well suited, as far as it goes, according to my information and inquiries.
It seems to be the year of «Based on a true story», and by that I left The Sniper for criticizing all nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Soon you will have news. I hope I have not bored a lot.
Miss.
Más amor y menos prozac. 