The Imitation Game

Director Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game is a gripping war drama about Alan Turing, the man who broke the Nazi Enigma Code and might well be considered the father of the computer.  But, having saved an estimated 14 million people with his work, he was, subsequently, dishonored by his Country for being a homosexual.

 With the outstanding, Oscar nomination performance of Turing by Benedict Cumberbatch, backed up by the wonderful Keira Knightley, the Cinematography of Oscar Faura and the Production Design of Maria Djurkovic, The Imitation Game is sure to make the year’s Top 10.

The only issue I have with Graham Moore’s screenplay is that it tries to cover too much.  The effort to break the Enigma Code is a whole story in itself.  England’s terrible treatment of Turning is a whole story in itself.  Tying the two together is a rich treat, but one of the most interesting aspects of breaking the Code is only touched on.  That is the fact that, knowing the Nazis every move, only a select group of events could be prevented or else the Nazis would have known the Code was broken. 

The moral implications and what it may or may not have done to the psyches of those involved in deciding what to let slide would be make for an extremely interesting film in itself.

Nevertheless, The Imitation Game is a must see and I give it a 4+ out of 5.