An historical drama that falls into the usual traps

Rating: 6/10 (15 March 2015)

It can't be stated enough: Alan Turing was (is!) a hero, and the way UK treated homosexuals back then was inhuman.
And now on to the film: This is an important story that deserves to be told. The casting of Cumberbatch was perfect, as he manages to portray both the genius with social difficulties and the emotional, misunderstood outcast. The conflicting emotions in some of the scenes feels genuine, and he especially nails some of the more challenging scenes near the end.
My problem with this film, however, is the (oscar winning) story. The people above Turing in the chain of command, like the character played by Charles Dance, are so one dimensional and villain-like that they completely pull you out of the movie's realism. There are other moments too (they are running of time! the police are circling in on him!) that feels exaggerated, due to this being a movie and all. And while I am not saying that a movie ought to be 100% accurate, I wish that it would try to be a bit more realistic.