I recently watched a documentary about Bletchley Park and like many
became fascinated with what happened there and the people who worked
within its walls. I actually have a personal connection to Bletchley
also; my cousin's grandad worked there during the war and played a
leading role under Turing and Welchman. Regardless, I went into The
Imitiation Game with high hopes, if a little bit late.
The film tells the story of Alan Turing, notorious cryptanalyst responsible for breaking the enigma code during World War II. I was interested to see how director Morten Tyldum would approach the story of Turing. Whether he would cover his upbringing or the lead up to his suicide, or whether he would stick to the nitty gritty work during the war. I was happy that he did a bit of both. I'll start by saying that Benedict Cumberbatch was very good in this movie. I haven't always been a fan of his, and I remain hot and cold on him as an actor. But for the role of Turing he was a nearly perfect fit. A few moments I felt as though he may have been overacting, but not knowing that much about the real Turing, I cannot really confirm that he was. For the most part he is thoroughly engaging, mercurial and a fascinating screen presence.
The story follows what was detailed in Andrew Hodges' biography and I think it just about covers all bases when it comes to Turing. We get flashbacks to his childhood, where we see clearly the bullying he endured as a child at boarding school. These flashbacks act as a visual representation of what Turing as an older man says several times, "Violence exists because it feels good, but once you take the satisfaction out of it, it is no longer enjoyable." You get the sense throughout the film that Turing never changed. He is still the little kid he was at school, with the same interests, same social flaws, same beliefs about people. He is depicted as someone entirely absorbed in his own world, and this is the main reason he was able to crack Enigma.
The meat of the film is obviously about the daily race against time to crack the code. This is where all of the conflict and drama arises between Turing and his colleagues. It is clear they don't like him and they don't mind showing it either. You get a real perspective on the frustration that those in Hut 6 felt when trying to perform the impossible. Outbursts of anger were a plenty, normally directed at Turing for focusing on his machine instead of conventional code-breaking. These added to the suspense but occasionally felt like overkill. I really liked the dynamic between Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Turing. Alexander is charming, witty and smart, and there is one moment where he decides to give Alan a lesson in flirting. The dialogue is great and you sense a subtle appreciation from Alan of Hugh's smooth talking, like it is comparable to Alan's gift with cryptology. The relationship evolves wonderfully and they end up with a solid mutual respect for one another.
The romantic element of The Imitation Game was always going to be difficult to get right. Alan was a homosexual, which was illegal in the UK in the 40's, forcing him to hide it from the world. Keira Knightly plays Joan Clarke, the closest woman to Alan during his time at Bletchley and afterwards. It's safe to say I'm not a fan of Knightly, and she didn't really win me over with this performance. It wasn't a bad portrayal, but her accent felt horribly unnatural. Again, this might have been true of the real Joan Clarke, but I somehow doubt she came over as contrived and forced. Her dialogue was pretty good, especially her more intimate moments with Turing, which were without doubt at the emotional center of the film. Their relationship was interesting to watch as it developed from a mutual intellectual admiration to a marriage based on their work. But in the end it is Alan who cannot let Joan get as close to him as she would like, and the relationship breaks down when he tells her he is homosexual and never really cared for her.
The real love story occurs between Alan and his code-breaking machine. His life and soul is entangled with it, and it is the only thing in the world that truly makes sense to him. This furthers the irony of Alan being so cut off from the world, yet somehow saving it. Although he is doing a wonderful thing in the service of his country, he is also, perhaps more so, doing it to be contented himself.
The last part of the film is about Turing's downfall after the war, and his arrest for homosexuality. He undergoes chemical castration to avoid being sent to prison for his crime. This is a huge part of Turing’s story, yet I don't feel the film covered it in nearly enough detail. The pain he must have felt being convicted and numbed for something that today we consider welcome would have been fascinating if they had explored it in more depth. Another issue I have is the omission of Gordon Welchman. I thought he was the second most important person at Bletchley, yet he wasn't in the film at all? Seems a little suspect.
Overall though, I enjoyed this film quite a bit. The directing for the most part was great and the story was compelling from start to finish. I enjoyed the visuals and the way the film was shot. The sets and lighting were all very realistic and helped the film feel as authentic as it could do. My only major quarm was that a few themes and topics weren't explored in enough depth, but considering how much history the director had to fit into 2 hours of movie, I can just about forgive him. Apart from Knightly, who I didn't hate by any means, the acting was top notch. Possibly what I like most about The Imitation Game is how they managed to paint a portrait of Turing in a very detailed way, but still left the audience to draw their own conclusions on him. They maintained his mystique and legend, and I have to give them props for that. Yes, this movie may be Oscar bait, but who cares? It is a story that deserved to be brought to the big screen in such a way.
Acting: 80
Narrative: 75
Visuals: 80
Music: 80
Overall: 79/100
The film tells the story of Alan Turing, notorious cryptanalyst responsible for breaking the enigma code during World War II. I was interested to see how director Morten Tyldum would approach the story of Turing. Whether he would cover his upbringing or the lead up to his suicide, or whether he would stick to the nitty gritty work during the war. I was happy that he did a bit of both. I'll start by saying that Benedict Cumberbatch was very good in this movie. I haven't always been a fan of his, and I remain hot and cold on him as an actor. But for the role of Turing he was a nearly perfect fit. A few moments I felt as though he may have been overacting, but not knowing that much about the real Turing, I cannot really confirm that he was. For the most part he is thoroughly engaging, mercurial and a fascinating screen presence.
The story follows what was detailed in Andrew Hodges' biography and I think it just about covers all bases when it comes to Turing. We get flashbacks to his childhood, where we see clearly the bullying he endured as a child at boarding school. These flashbacks act as a visual representation of what Turing as an older man says several times, "Violence exists because it feels good, but once you take the satisfaction out of it, it is no longer enjoyable." You get the sense throughout the film that Turing never changed. He is still the little kid he was at school, with the same interests, same social flaws, same beliefs about people. He is depicted as someone entirely absorbed in his own world, and this is the main reason he was able to crack Enigma.
The meat of the film is obviously about the daily race against time to crack the code. This is where all of the conflict and drama arises between Turing and his colleagues. It is clear they don't like him and they don't mind showing it either. You get a real perspective on the frustration that those in Hut 6 felt when trying to perform the impossible. Outbursts of anger were a plenty, normally directed at Turing for focusing on his machine instead of conventional code-breaking. These added to the suspense but occasionally felt like overkill. I really liked the dynamic between Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Turing. Alexander is charming, witty and smart, and there is one moment where he decides to give Alan a lesson in flirting. The dialogue is great and you sense a subtle appreciation from Alan of Hugh's smooth talking, like it is comparable to Alan's gift with cryptology. The relationship evolves wonderfully and they end up with a solid mutual respect for one another.
The romantic element of The Imitation Game was always going to be difficult to get right. Alan was a homosexual, which was illegal in the UK in the 40's, forcing him to hide it from the world. Keira Knightly plays Joan Clarke, the closest woman to Alan during his time at Bletchley and afterwards. It's safe to say I'm not a fan of Knightly, and she didn't really win me over with this performance. It wasn't a bad portrayal, but her accent felt horribly unnatural. Again, this might have been true of the real Joan Clarke, but I somehow doubt she came over as contrived and forced. Her dialogue was pretty good, especially her more intimate moments with Turing, which were without doubt at the emotional center of the film. Their relationship was interesting to watch as it developed from a mutual intellectual admiration to a marriage based on their work. But in the end it is Alan who cannot let Joan get as close to him as she would like, and the relationship breaks down when he tells her he is homosexual and never really cared for her.
The real love story occurs between Alan and his code-breaking machine. His life and soul is entangled with it, and it is the only thing in the world that truly makes sense to him. This furthers the irony of Alan being so cut off from the world, yet somehow saving it. Although he is doing a wonderful thing in the service of his country, he is also, perhaps more so, doing it to be contented himself.
The last part of the film is about Turing's downfall after the war, and his arrest for homosexuality. He undergoes chemical castration to avoid being sent to prison for his crime. This is a huge part of Turing’s story, yet I don't feel the film covered it in nearly enough detail. The pain he must have felt being convicted and numbed for something that today we consider welcome would have been fascinating if they had explored it in more depth. Another issue I have is the omission of Gordon Welchman. I thought he was the second most important person at Bletchley, yet he wasn't in the film at all? Seems a little suspect.
Overall though, I enjoyed this film quite a bit. The directing for the most part was great and the story was compelling from start to finish. I enjoyed the visuals and the way the film was shot. The sets and lighting were all very realistic and helped the film feel as authentic as it could do. My only major quarm was that a few themes and topics weren't explored in enough depth, but considering how much history the director had to fit into 2 hours of movie, I can just about forgive him. Apart from Knightly, who I didn't hate by any means, the acting was top notch. Possibly what I like most about The Imitation Game is how they managed to paint a portrait of Turing in a very detailed way, but still left the audience to draw their own conclusions on him. They maintained his mystique and legend, and I have to give them props for that. Yes, this movie may be Oscar bait, but who cares? It is a story that deserved to be brought to the big screen in such a way.
Acting: 80
Narrative: 75
Visuals: 80
Music: 80
Overall: 79/100
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