The Imitation Game (2014)

Nominee

Communication in its most basic form is an interaction between two beings, one conferring an idea and the other, at the very least, perceiving it. However, as we soiree into more complex concepts we must engage in different communicative means to help convey our meaning. Yet, no matter how we encode the information the interaction cannot be deemed successful until it has been processed by the receiving party. In the instance of film with its many modes of story telling it is often difficult to find the right artistic balance to bring together all the parts for an audience. Where should the weight of the message be placed? The narrative structure? The cinematography? In the case of the Imitation Game they beautifully placed the message in the hands of the actors,  while presenting the facts of the story with brilliant simplicity. Which is the prefect way to approach the story of Alan Turing, the man who broke the greatest code ever written but struggled with basic human interaction. 

The story of Alan Turing is an important one that holds an incredible amount of current relevance. His story is told in three time frames: his first experiences with cryptology and love as a young school boy, his code breaking work during World War II, and his brutal conviction for his homosexuality in the 1950's. Each of these plotlines depicts Turing's confusion on how to communicate with his peers although he shows an incomparable aptitude for breaking codes. It was his outsider vantage point that allowed him to believe the impossible: that he could create a machine that could analyze the encrypted words of the Nazis. This story is riddled with thematic elemants from his persecution for his sexual orientation, to the moral dynamics of breaking Engima, the film could have easily been bogged down by overt drama and weighty visuals, but it wasn't. 

The cinematography is classic clean-cut invisible story telling which is much more difficult than most would assume. Leaving the challenge of grappling with the content to the actors and writers. Benedict Cumberbatch has given one of the best performances of the year as Turing. His Turing was emotional but not overstated, a loner but not unsympathetic. While Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke, the only woman on the code breaking team, foils his character well by guiding him through the maze of society. The two have great chemistry and really are the coehesion that holds the whole film together. 

The writing was for the most part engaging, giving life to the characters and weaving the story in a way that made sense. I will say some of the dialogue gets a little cheesy, i.e. "Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine." It's a lovely sentiment and it's nice when it recurs once...but saying it three times? Whoa down there, Nelly.

Overall: Sometimes it takes the most simplistic approach to successfully convey the most intricate ideas. Some may find this film basic, I find it well executed with the kind of narrative that begs to be told, and needs to be heard. Cumberbatch has given Turing a chance to finally be valued for his work, and he deserves it. You have my attention. Happy Watching!