The Imitation Game – Film Review
Director: Morten Tyldum
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kiera Knightley, Mark Strong and Charles Dance
Release Date: Nov 14
Based on a true story, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a genius mathematician and logician, is tasked with cracking the Enigma code, a complex encryption used by the Germans, as Britain struggles during World War II. Under pressure, Turing strives to convince his peers and superiors of his unorthodox methods, while also working to keep his, then illegal, life as a homosexual a secret. Adapted from the Andrew Hodges novel Alan Turing: The Enigma, the screenplay is written by Graham Moore.
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While the life of Alan Turing is a story that is worthy of the screen and public knowledge, there is a sense that casting Benedict Cumberbatch is a somewhat obvious choice to play the part of the awkward but brilliant-minded man. Let’s be honest, it’s not his first time around. Similarly Charles Dance’s performance as the strict and potentially destructive authority figure isn’t too surprising either, nor is Keira Knightly as the optimistic yet intelligent figure. There’s also Mark Strong as the intimidating and slightly cocky spy.
These are by no means bad choices, but some of them have little to no surprise about them. The truth is, The Imitation Game doesn’t really shock or endearingly surprise its audience. It tells its story quite clearly, with no particular subtext or depth in its complex themes and concepts posed by the true story.
The beats are simple, displayed out loud and there’s no real ambiguity in its message. As well as this, the movie has an odd, slightly self aware tone in much of its dialogue. At times, it feels just a little bit too contemporary for it to be something said at the time the film is set.
As well as this, the film doesn’t really give you much to piece together yourself. It’s all there, from Turing’s conflicts at first, when working for the secret service, to the flashbacks covering his difficulty as an odd student in boarding school and all the way up to his discrimination and alienation from conservative British society.
It’s sort of an easy cruise and in telling the story that way, the whole viewing feels a bit TV movie-esque. However, while there are several complex topics merely touched on in this film (the morality in long term military strategy and secrecy, and a society’s ability to shun and disgrace in spite of a person’s greatly beneficial accomplishments…. to name a few) the film does touch on each one efficiently and clearly.
As stated earlier, the casting choices are kind of obvious, but nobody in this film phones it in. Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in particular does display the awkward mannerisms and diligence of a focused and driven mind with a seemingly organic feel. Similarly, Alex Lawther’s performance as a young Alan Turing is very impressive, a small supporting role that stands out.
A good film to compare this to would be The King’s Speech (not just because they align chronologically). While The King’s Speech drifts off in its structure and feels little like it carries a fourth act, it does delve into some interesting themes. It makes some thoughtful commentary on society’s conventions of behaviour, especially in the area of media and people in the public eye. Meanwhile, The Imitation Game touches on some similar themes, but doesn’t delve into them in any great detail. That said, its structure is still very solid and neat.
In the end, by having a neat structure, the result is a good watch. It’s a very direct and easy-to-follow drama that does a good job of informing you of the basic information around its subject. At times its a little too comically frank, but at worst that only hits the line marginally. But in being so well packaged, it does miss the opportunity of really delving into its themes and being memorable. Still though, this is a very good film that is engaging, informative and satisfying.
It’s definitely a worthwhile watch for its subject matter alone, Alan Turing being an unsung hero of English history. Although this film misses the opportunity of being a classic and particularly memorable, it is still a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining drama.
Score: 3.5/5
Written By Seamus Hanly
