Great Hollywood fashioned important story, but mixed emotions

Rating: 8/10 (8 January 2015)

Great story well played out in Hollywood fashion. Beautifully made and well acted - worth a few awards I'm sure, but didn't quite live up to the billing I'm afraid. I think maybe the Hollywood treatment didn't jive with the meek, uncomfortable, genius of Turing (expertly portrayed by Cumberbatch).
I'd seen an earlier, much lower budget movie about Turing called Codebreaker over a year ago. Plus I had heard a little about Turing, the Enigma code and had been carrying a story of my own relating to the consequences of the code breaking for many years.
How important was Turing ? Some have claimed his part in the real story is overstated. But to me, I feel he could be very important. My education, my career and now my centre of expertise directly relate to his work. But, also perhaps my life, my family and my homeland.
I don't feel people still quite understand what Turing and others managed to do, how creative he/they were and what we take for granted today in many facets of life, we potentially owe to him and his contemporaries.
But I'm still bothered by the fact the he never enjoyed the attention, praise and love he deserved. It is shocking how recent this inhumane law existed. What joy would he have today to see the power of what is at our fingertips.
My reaction wasn't one of inspiration, but one more of sadness. I felt rather lonely walking home.
I did read a number of reviews on IMDb and adjusted this review slightly to take into consideration that the code breaking was in reality not just the creation of Alan Turing, but a number of brilliant men and women who worked behind the scenes.