The Imitation Game
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Directed by Morten Tyldum
Nov 26, 2014
Web Exclusive
Code breaker, war hero, and grandfather of the modern computer; with that resume, it’s amazing we haven’t seen a dozen Alan Turing films. The brilliant mathematician lived a life that was ripe for a Hollywood treatment, down to its tragic ending, yet still passes relatively unknown outside of his fans and followers. The Imitation Game may not be the big screen biography Turing deserves, but if this is the one that introduces his work to wider audiences, we’ll take it.
Benedict Cumberbatch—whose performance is the best part of the film, by a wide margin—plays Turing. The Imitation Game seems determined to hit every biopic beat, even if it means semi-forcefully flashing back to Turing’s school years and ahead to his finals days, but smartly focuses on his most exciting period: as the inventor of a code-breaking computer that helped shift the tide toward Allied forces in WWII. Those with a passing familiarity with Turing’s life and achievements may find the film somewhat stilted, but his story is too suited for the silver screen to fall flat.
Author rating: 6/10
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November 26th 2014
1:58pm
Tanks! I add your site to my bookmarks)
November 26th 2014
3:06pm
The reason we haven’t seen more Alan Turing movies is because he was gay. Something your article leaves out. And probably because Britain is ashamed of how they rewarded him for helping to put an end to the war.
December 5th 2014
4:56pm
I saw the movie and thought it was very well done. Cumberbatch is fantastic, but as is the supporting cast, especially Keira Knightley.
January 7th 2015
2:58am
Thank you for your review.