The Imitation Game Review

The Imitation Game finally arrived at my local theater. I've been eagerly anticipating it since early 2014 when I first heard about it. I am a huge Benedict Cumberbatch fan, as anyone who has read some of my past posts would know. If I had to choose a favorite actor, I'd probably pick him. So, I was planning to see this movie to begin with. Then, I saw it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year. So, I wanted to see it even more. I have to say, I was not let down by all the hype. This is one of the best movies I've seen that was released last year.

Morten Tyldum's historical drama The Imitation Game is about brilliant mathematician and computer pioneer Alan Turing, played by Cumberbatch. It's a relatively unknown story about the man who was essential in the Allies' victory in World War II. The story was classified for over 50 years due to its sensitive content. I'm glad it was finally opened up to be told, because this is one of the most incredible stories I've never heard.

Benedict Cumberbatch's central performance is phenomenal. The guy is as talented as they come, and that's on full display in The Imitation Game. Many have compared Alan Turing to Cumberbatch's role of Sherlock Holmes on the BBC series Sherlock. I've heard many people say that he should branch out in terms of the types of characters he takes on because these two roles are so similar. However, I think this is a slightly misguided view. The two characters are fundamentally different. Sherlock is totally aware of his surroundings and understands how people work. He just doesn't take the time to care about the people around him. Conversely, Turing cares very much for those around him. He just doesn't know how to approach them in a socially acceptable way. There's a thin line between these two character types, however I think the way Cumberbatch must approach the roles is completely different.

The change is so subtle that it may be difficult to pick up on. That being said, saying that Cumberbatch only knows how to portray Sherlock-type characters is shortchanging him in my mind. I believe his Best Actor nomination is totally warranted, and of the performances I've seen that were nominated, his just might be the best.

The supporting cast is also very impressive. Keira Knightley, who I've never viewed as that good an actress, gives what is in my opinion a career best performance as Joan Clarke, Turing's colleague and one-time fiancee. While a Best Supporting Actress nomination may be giving her a bit too much credit, she certainly was very good. Matthew Goode, Allen Leech, and Matthew Beard round out the rest of Turing's team. All of them were solid, particularly Goode. Rory Kinnear was also quite good as a detective in 1951 investigating Turing's involvement in World War II. Mark Strong rounds out the cast with a typically solid performance as a general in the British military and the one overseeing Turing's operation.

I'm a bit of a math and technology geek, so all the computer jargon that the characters were spouting during the film interested me greatly. I found all the sequences where the team were during their work to be very compelling and quite riveting. In many ways, The Imitation Game acts as a thriller, despite no guns going off or fist-fights erupting. The thrills come from within the mind of these characters. You feel the tension building between them as they fail to make much progress on their assignment. That makes some of their successes pay off all the more.

The Imitation Game deals with some very controversial topics, namely Alan Turing's homosexuality. I was afraid Tyldum and the writers were going to focus a little too much on this aspect of his life, glorifying his sexual orientation rather than what he accomplished as a war hero. I'm not saying they should have ignored it. Not at all. Turing's homosexuality is an important part of his life. However, a lot of Hollywood films nowadays feel like they need to make some sort of social statement. I prefer biographical and historical movies that take an unbiased, fact-based look at their real-life stories.

Fortunately, that's just what The Imitation Game does. It doesn't shove his homosexuality in the audience's faces. Rather, it simply portrays the man in a realistic light. Whether or not you believe homosexuality is right or wrong is irrelevant at this point. It was a major facet of Alan Turing's life. It's what fueled his decline in his later years. And so it was necessary to show, and I thought the way the filmmakers did it was the right way to do it.

I've tried to stay as vague and general about the film's story as I can. I didn't know that much about Turing and his team's work before I walked into the theater. I think it's the best way to experience the movie. And it is definitely a film worth seeing. One of the best films of 2014, and a truly worthy Best Picture nominee. I'm going to attempt to see and review each of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars next month. I can't promise anything, but it's something I'm going to try.

A