The Imitation Game [2014] is the quasi-biographical historical thriller on acclaimed mathematician Alan Turing's (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) contribution toward deciphering the German enigma code. Turing is recruited, along with a team of mathematicians to do something statistically improbable in order permit the government to gather intelligence on the Nazis.
Simplified. Fed to us in easily digestible bites. No unnecessary jargon about the technological workings of enigma or an overwrought explanation on the political climate of the time. Just enough detail to sink your teeth into.
Drama and witty banter. It's based in depressing war-times, where members of the public are going hungry and this group will be stuck in a room doing stats. Sounds like a good time, right? Well, the majority of the time it is. Benedict Cumberbatch commits completely to the role as an abrasive mathematician with such charm that Turing is likable from the outset and entirely sympathetic. His sharp wit is countered by co-star Keira Knightley, who plays Joan Clarke the caring companion and fellow brain. The rest of them ain't all that bad either.
Not a biography. One must acknowledge that there are major discrepancies between the actual events of Alan Turing's life and the film itself. Spoiler alert. The screenwriter has injected conflicts, relationships, and hardships where none ever existed. Why? To deliver satisfying resolutions. For us, the viewing audience. Albeit, the clever tactic pays off and won Graham Moore the Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay. The Imitation Game does not attempt to educate you on the realities of Alan Turing. But instead, conveys an essence of who Alan Turing was.
Don't mind a tale of friendship and struggle,
served with a side of creative license.
Related: The film The Imitation Game is featured on Borrowing Tape's Best Films of 2014 list.
