Let me just say that Benedict Cumberbatch is just outstanding as Alan Turing! Just as Andy Serkis has become the new face of screen-monster, Cumberbatch has become the new face of screen-genius. Moreover, this year he will also be portraying on stage the genius of all geniuses – Hamlet.
Alan Turing might be the sole reason the Allies (later called United Nations) were able to defeat the Nazis during WWII and yet it was classified information for 50 years. Turing was also among the pioneers who helped create the computer.
People who enjoyed “A Beautiful Mind” (2001) will also like this story of the troubled genius. But unlike John Nash, Turing was never recognised as a genius in his lifetime and ultimately had a very sad life story. I did not know that Turing was sentenced for his homosexuality and ultimately committed suicide. The Russian composer Tchaikovsky also committed suicide by slowly poisoning himself for the same reason (but few knew about it until recently as he had staged it as death-by-cholera).
But “The Imitation Game” is more of a war-thriller than a biopic and focuses on the way the secret Nazi code was cracked. And the best scenes are the ones where the tactless Turing is trying to brainstorm with his team. Kiera Knightly shines in the film as the only woman code-breaker. The film reminded me of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (2011), another excellent British spy-thriller where Cumberbatch also appeared as part of a brilliant ensemble.
Alexandre Desplat's soundtrack made it to my playlist, for the last two months I've only been listening to Hans Zimmer's “Interstellar” (2014). I just loved the piano track in the opening credit as we hear Turing in the background: “Are you paying attention? Because I will not repeat this.” This is how you hook the audience.
The film got eight Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Cumberbatch. Both Tom Hanks, “Philadelphia” (1993), and Sean Penn, “Milk” (2008), had won Oscars for depicting homosexuals.
