July 15, 2015 THE IMITATION GAME MOVIE REVIEW

This review is gonna be a little short because I don’t passionately love or hate it.

Based off the true story of Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) during the events of World War II. The Imitation Game focuses it’s plot on the code breaking war between the Nazis and the British. Cumberbatch’s character works on creating the first computer to decrypt the Nazi encryption code called Enigma. This is only half the plot as it also develops the sexuality of Alan Turning, and the consequences that happened due to it.

Something which disappointed me was the direction. It was not bad, but it wasn’t anything special. No long tracking or establishing shots. No special lighting to be found. Also the pacing wasn’t to great either. I enjoy slow tension building, like Drive(check that review out if you haven’t already (I love self promotion)), however this movie’s final act is rushed and anticlimactic. It simply just tells the ends, rather than show it. The main reason for this is the the movie is almost two hours long! So they obviously had to cut the end rather than the slow pacing earlier on in the film. This film looks and feels like any other any other WW2 movie. The CGI for the occasional cuts to the war is really nothing special. To me this feels like wasted budget. There is nothing that stands out. It’s all too safe.

What’s not safe is the direction the movie went; It goes deep into the sexuality of Alan Turning, and shows the horrors homosexual people faced in those times. The punishment for the “crime” was either two years in prison, or chemical castration to “cure” it. Benedict does a phenomenal performance of what it’s like to have to live a lie. Always hiding who he really is. It is ultimately heart breaking. Even homophobes would emphasise for his portrayal or Turning. Keira Knightley is great as her character, Joan Clarke, who is used to show the the stereotypes and sexism women endured. All other cast is solid in their performance. It has Tywin Lannister so it’s expected to have great performances.

To conclude, this movie is good. The performances are great however are dragged down by average direction. It’s end was cut short. It is nice and edgy in the aspect of sexuality and sexism during the second World War. I feel if this was lower budget it could have focused on the themes it wanted to to tell rather than show unnecessary CGI action. I can’t see myself watching it again, but it is worth seeing.