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The story of World War II has been told time and time again, with filmmakers exploring every possible angle. Usually, these war movies take place in the middle of the action, with daring soldiers racing into battle. But The Imitation Game tells a different kind of story, focusing on the brains behind the Allies’ most strategic moves.
The Imitation Game tells the true story of the man who led Britain’s race to crack the Nazis’ Enigma code. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, an awkward young math prodigy who’s hired by the British government in 1939 to join a team of code-breakers in a quest to crack the code. The Enigma machine allows the Germans to change the key to their codes each day—with millions upon millions of possibilities. And while the rest of the team spends each and every day scrambling to crack an unbreakable code, Turing chooses to focus his attention on building a machine to do the work for them.
As has often been the case throughout this year’s award season, The Imitation Game is an intriguing film that’s made noteworthy by its performances. Far from the typical World War II movie, it doesn’t take place on the battlefield. The real battles here are waged in a secret facility—and not by platoons of well-trained soldiers but by a group of guys with a gift for solving crossword puzzles who use the only weapons at their disposal: their brains. The film examines the science of communication—from the encrypted messages used during wartime to the verbal and non-verbal ways that people communicate with one another. And it shows the inspiration behind one of the first-ever computers.
At its core, however, is Cumberbatch, who gives yet another stand-out performance as the eccentric cryptologist. It’s not easy to make such a blunt, awkward, and often condescending character seem charming, but he does just that, playing Turing with subtle humor and just a hint of heart. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s paired with Keira Knightley, who’s sweet and thoughtful and absolutely adorable as Turing’s coworker and friend, Joan.
Since the film’s focus is scientific in nature, though—and since Turing’s dedication to his work makes him seem almost robotic—the tone often feels rather clinical. Throughout the course of the film, Turing makes a number of choices that could have been quite emotional—but, whether he’s making decisions about his career, his relationships, or the safety of others, he does so using logic and statistics instead of emotions. And while the situations may have called for that kind of a calm, collected, level-headed approach, its simple, direct style keeps audiences at an arm’s length of what could have been a moving story.
In exploring the work of this important historical figure, The Imitation Game tackles a number of topics—from codes and computers to relationships and interpersonal communication. It may not be the most moving picture of the year, but its intriguing true story and stand-out performances make it a captivating one.
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