Film Review: ‘The Imitation Game’
Director: Morten Tyldum
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong
Age Restriction: 10–12PG P
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 113 minutes
Release date: 23 January 2015
By now most of you are aware that The Imitation Game has received numerous accolades including eight Academy Award nominations with the film being nominated in the top honours categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch and Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley.
Usually, Oscar nominated films aren’t always appealing to most audiences, but with The Imitation Game, it’s an exception as most audiences will absolutely enjoy it.
The Imitation Game is essentially a biopic as it tells the story of famed mathematician/cryptanalyst Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) who is well-known for cracking Nazi Germany’s enigma code which helped Britain and its allies win the war.
This is not a history essay thankfully, so I won’t go into detail about this historic event as I wouldn’t want to give too much away to those who are unaware of what happened. However, while The Imitation Game explores Turing’s life, from glimpses to his teenage years to life after the war, the film’s plot mostly centres around the years when he and his team of code-breakers attempted to crack the enigma code.
The Nazi Germans used the enigma code to send out encrypted messages to one another as a means of giving out orders. One such order which is depicted in the film is the co-ordinates of which areas the German bombers need to bomb.
The film’s plot is detailed and well executed, and it will keep audiences invested at all times. I must say, the film was really well-adapted and most audiences will understand what is actually going as everything is well explained and easy to decipher.
Now to the acting, Benedict Cumberbatch has come to be regarded as one of the most exceptional actors of this day and age. As usual, Cumberbatch does one heck of a job, delivering a performance that’s worthy of all the accolades the actor has received thus far.
Cumberbatch immerses himself into Turing’s shoes and brings about a convincing performance – his body language, his speech and his lines are delivered with charm and wit. He even succeeds in delving deeper into his character to depict their insecurities and emotions.
It’s Cumberbatch’s performance which brings heart to this film and he is definitely destined to win an Oscar in the near future, if not for this role, maybe at next month’s Academy? Who knows as Eddie Redmayne is already proving tough competition to beat.
Another thing to note is the chemistry between Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley who plays Joan Clarke – the only female member of the team. While Knightley gives off a great performance, the question is whether her performance even deserved an Oscar nomination. I certainly don’t think it warranted a nomination beause while she was great as Clarke, her performance was not exceptional, especially compared to her co-star.
All in all, The Imitation Game is an exceptional film and possibly one of the strongest Oscar Best Picture contenders. Why? Because it’s a brilliant piece of cinema that offers more than just high quality entertainment – as it’s thought provoking and educational as well.
