A fascinating portrait of a troubled innovator

Rating: 9/10 (12 January 2015)

The life and career of mathematician Alan Turing would have always made an excellent biopic, so the success of 'The Imitation Game' in terms of its narrative shouldn't come as a surprise. This is coupled with a masterful performance from Benedict Cumberbatch as the enigmatic Turing.
Though featuring little to no battle scenes in a film centered on WWII, 'The Imitation Game' rarely has any trouble depicting the high stakes facing its protagonist and his peers. Every second they toil away in their attempts to crack Nazi codes means more and more lives lost in the brutal conflict encompassing the globe.
Cumberbatch portrays Turing as a brilliant if highly socially awkward innovator. He twitches and stutters constantly, with all of these seemingly insignificant physical traits and tics contributing to this depiction. As he struggles with external forces attempting to clamp down on his work, as well as his repressed homosexuality, Turing becomes, and behaves, more and more erratically. In recent years Cumberbatch has established himself as an acting powerhouse, and his role in 'The Imitation Game' will surely be added to the top of his portfolio.
Many parallels are drawn between the revolutionary Nazi code-cracking computer Turing designs and Turing himself, an individual who at many points is deemed by his peers to be more machine than man. The supporting cast help strengthen this image, their unique, bubbly personalities contrasting with Turing's withdrawn nature.
Like 'The Social Network, 'The Imitation Game' functions as both a terrific historical account of technological innovation, as well as a fascinating character study of the depths one will go to to ensure the survival of their work. However, unlike The Social Network's Mark Zuckerberg, who is presented largely as a Machiavellian antagonist, Alan Turing is presented as a tragic hero, a man who helped save possibly millions of lives, but was ultimately punished ruthlessly for his personal life.