The Imitation Game

Whilst I did enjoy this telling of the wartime efforts of the British code-breakers at Bletchley Park, I think I prefer Sir Derek Jacobi's 1996 interpretation of the achievements of Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician who led a team of enigmatic individuals who broke the Nazi "Enigma" code. Benedict Cumberbatch is really just reprising his BBC "Sherlock" characterisation - even down to the pensive hand gestures. The story is told from quite an interesting retrospection after the pretty unlikeable Turing has been apprehended by the police for what I suppose we'd call "lewd behaviour" nowadays and is being questioned by Rory Kinnear ("Detective Nock"). Indeed, I found all the characterisations to be a bit shallow - Charles Dance, Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode just lacked oomph, I thought. Fascinating story , though - beautifully well presented.

'The Imitation Game' is fascinating stuff. I watched 2001's 'Enigma' almost five years ago and do remember liking it, though I found it a bit too pedestrian (at least early on). This 2014 release does a greater job at telling the story of Alan Turing & Co.

Firstly, this did a particularly great job in terms of casting. Benedict Cumberbatch (and Alex Lawther) are terrific as the aforementioned. Keira Knightley (fittingly with a character middle named Elisabeth), Matthew Goode, Charles Dance and Mark Strong are all excellent support.

The WWII-centric plot makes for engrossing viewing, even if I'm sure it takes liberties as movies tend to do; which I'm fully fine with, for what it's worth. The pacing is particularly spot on, at no point was I uninterested in what I was seeing. The cast, of course, are a big reason for that fact.