For months, I had been anticipating the wide theatrical release
of The Imitation Game in America and
this past weekend I finally had my opportunity to see the film; here are my
thoughts:
To be frank, a biographical film about an English
mathematician would not sound like riveting cinema, but when the mathematician
being present is (1) commonly regarded as the father of computers and (2)
largely responsible for decoding the German Enigma machine, at the time, an
encryption device thought impossible to crack, thus aiding Allied forces
conclude the Second World War an estimated two-years early (and in the process,
possibly saving 14 million lives); it sort of piques one’s interest—at least,
it piqued my interest. Also, the fact
that the mathematician, Alan Turing, would be portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch
and in my opinion, you have the potential for a fantastic movie.
Speaking of Mr. Cumberbatch, his portrayal of Alan Turing
was superb, but it could be said that Mr. Cumberbatch is experienced in
portraying socially-awkward geniuses.
His performance was such that I was able to not only endure particularly
“embarrassing” scenes, but I was able to enjoy them and I found myself relating
to Turing’s social ineptitude. Perhaps,
I am speaking of Mr. Cumberbatch with a biased perspective, but I am only
biased because he continues to provide remarkable performances.
Now, the intriguing plot and the superb performance of the
lead should be more enough for me to say:
“Yes, this film is entirely worth the price of admission,” but the film’s
underlying message of sexual equality—Turing was gay and despite his efforts
during the war (much of which remained classified long after his passing), he
was charged and found guilty of indecency and his punishment was chemical
castration, which ultimately led to him taking his own life at the age of 41—was
yet another positive in the movie’s direction.
Truthfully, this same message may serve to deter certain right-wing
religious zealots from seeing this movie and that is a shame because Turing’s
story is one that should be known.
Anyway, as I alluded to previously, this film is certainly
worth the price of admission and if you have an opportunity to see this
fantastic depiction of the life of a man that has so immensely affected our
world, then please go and see it.
