private and public battles

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2015)

The heroic and the tragic tale of Alan Turing has long been Britain's (not-so) secret shame, a wrong that has recently been righted by representations such as The Imitation Game. Benedict Cumberbatch gives an award-bait performance in bringing Turing's odd genius to life. All the cast are convincing, with Mark Strong as an MI6 agent being especially charismatic. The period is solidly evoked by the stand-up production design, and the script, while slightly too expositional, manages to straddle three time periods in Turing's life, noting how the imperative to conceal his homosexuality crippled him socially. Technically the film maintains a high standard, though there is nothing outstanding in the direction. The cracking of the Enigma Code is arguably the greatest achievement of the British war effort. The personal cost to the man we have to thank is a stunning tale, especially given the secrecy it has been cloaked in for most of the 20th century. In sum, this is a very good biopic that entertains, informs and does justice to Turing's legacy.