The Imitation Game

There’s already plenty of visual media out there surrounding Bletchley Park and the Enigma code, from Channel 4’s informative 1999 series Station X to Michael Apted’s so-so Enigma film from 2001 (complete with Mick Jagger cameo!). Director Morten Tyldum is the latest to throw his hat into the ring, though The Imitation Game focuses squarely on the mastermind who was behind the unlocking of the "unbreakable" German cypher, one Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). The film is basically split into three parts. We have Turing's difficult times at boarding school, his secret work at the Park and, finally, his criminal conviction for his (at the time) illegal homosexuality. Despite the heavy subject matter this is actually quite a light concoction for the majority of the running time, namely as a large portion of the film is based around the middle third of Turing's life, that of his exploits at Bletchley. Cumberbatch is superb in the lead role, though the nature of his distracted performance hints at a mild form of asperger's a la Sofia Helin of Bron / Broen fame. His riffing off the other cast members is great fun, especially Charles Dance giving good stiff upper lip. Matthew Goode gives a subtle performance as a fellow cryptographer and it’s great to see Mark Strong continuing his run of being in every film ever made. Advance warning though: Keira Knightley affects her porsh English accent in this. Speaking of Blightly, there's plenty of British wit on display throughout, no doubt helped by the Scandinavian Tyldum's Norway sharing our similar dry approach to humour. Speaking of Tyldum it’s good to see him being given the keys to the Kingdom following 2011’s bonkers Headhunters and he directs here with a minimum of fuss. If you want negatives, the script is somewhat formulaic and your enjoyment may depend on how true to life you expect Tyldum’s account to be. The film is riddled with historical inaccuracies both in dates and actions - even the sign off regarding Turing’s suicide is actually disputed in many quarters. Regardless of all that, this is solid entertaining stuff, topped off with another starring turn from the chameleon that is Cumberbatch. One other thing though: Regardless of it being named after one of Turing's tests (which isn't even addressed in the film), that title's a clunker. Rating: 8/10.