Great cast and storytelling in this World War II thriller

Rating: 9/10 (14 April 2015)

Benedict Cumberbatch brings his amazing talent to life in this espionage thriller set during World War II. This film stars Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, a real life mathematician and graduate of Cambridge University, who works with a team of cryptographers to crack the seemingly impossible secret Nazi code. In attempt to go against all odds, Turing builds a complex machine that he believes his capable for cracking the code itself.
This is one of the most brilliantly made films of 2014, but perhaps not the best film set during World War II. This takes some complex turns here and there. It does, however, manage to stay intriguing through most of it's time. The film also offers a great cast of actors and strong performances, along with Cumberbatch. Keira Knightley plays Joan Clarke, a woman who Alan Turing hires to assist in the breaking of the Nazi code, and seemingly falls in love with. Then there is Mark Strong, who plays Stewart Menzies, a British general and chief of the British Secret Service. These actors bring top-notch performances to the screen, and I enjoyed them. Matthew Goode, Matthew Beard, and Allen Leech also bring out some great acting.
This film also tackles major issues dealing with sexuality. Benedict Cumberbatch's character, Alan Turing, is learned to be homosexual and is in violation of the law as a result. The film not only focuses on his attempt of breaking the Nazi code, but also on the dilemma of his sexuality into politics. In my opinion, I didn't find this to be an important factor to the film, especially as a subplot. While I did find it interesting, I felt that it was tampering with the film's focus a little bit. Overall, I was satisfied with the film, and I think the director and actors did a fantastic job.