"We're going to break an unbreakable Nazi code and win the war".

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2015)

There was a time when I felt that unwavering historical accuracy was necessary to produce a movie like this but I've long since been conditioned otherwise. I didn't know anything about the German Enigma program prior to seeing this film, and it's actually quite illuminating to read some of the other reviewers here who know a lot about the subject. So maybe the value in movies like this is to point viewers in the direction of learning more about it's subject matter and become better educated in the process.
With that as my starting point, I thought this was a brilliant film and exceptionally well made. Benedict Cumberbatch is riveting in the role of cryptanalyst Alan Turing; watching him on screen is a fascinating study in human behavior and contradictions. One has to admire the single minded dedication that any individual brings to their work and Turing by his example appeared to be a person obsessed with solving an impossible problem. When it was eventually revealed that he was homosexual, I didn't think it was done in a heavy handed manner. Since that was his orientation, I don't see how you can tell the story without making it central to the dilemma he faced in an era that wasn't as enlightened as the present day.
I'm not quite sure what the title of the movie is meant to convey. One can take differing views of it I suppose. Was it the mission of the code breakers to 'imitate' their Nazi counterparts by creating a machine to decipher their secret messages, or was Turing himself 'imitating' a 'normal' person as he tried to bring his team to a successful outcome? I've only read a handful of other reviews posted here and no none tackles the subject, including it seems the message boards which I made a quick run through. Anyway, inquiring minds would like to know.
In summary, it's a fascinating picture on a little known episode of World War II that contributed greatly to Allied success. It's a war picture with no battle scenes that challenges one's concepts of morality and the justifications made during war to achieve the greatest good while enduring or inflicting the least amount of damage. It's a rare film that leaves you with more questions than it answers, and quite notably, in a positive way.