The Imitation Game | Rating: 10/11 |
Benedict Cumberbatch has perfected the art of the awkward smart guy who favors knowledge over friendships or so it seems. Although not a far stretch from his role as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s Sherlock, The Imitation Game allows Cumberbatch the opportunity to grow his character, Alan Turing, through a broader range of emotions. Based on an intriguing true story of a classified Military Intelligence mission that won World War II for the allies by solving an Enigma [machine] puzzle, The Imitation Game is 114 mins of head-scratching, nerve-wrecking sheer brilliance. You’ve never seen World War II from this angle, and what a refreshing relief to never hear any mention of the Holocaust. Not to say that Holocaust education isn’t important, we just have enough films on the subject already.
Now it’s all about the subtle details in this film, as Turing says “Are you paying attention?” The little clues in the set dressing and the well-selected color palette of the film complete the beautiful cinematography in every shot. But The Imitation Game isn’t as dry as that, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode and Cumberbatch make quite the witty team which is a much-needed humorous break from all the mathematics and cryptography talk that will leave your brain fuzzy at times. Then filter in the multitude of messages behind this masterpiece: Gay rights, social lessons in etiquette, heroic bravery, etc. and this think piece is destined for a medal of its own.
From someone who typically isn’t a fan of this genre of film, The Imitation Game goes up there next to Argo and will have you questioning what types of other classified missions are out there. So, are you paying attention?