One of the best Biographies one can watch

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2016)

"The Imitation Game" is a gem of a movie; a masterpiece of a biographical work. It takes you through the life of Alan Turing, most notably during the times of the second World War, highlighting various themes as it does - math, the advent of computers, homosexuality, violence and compassion.
Alan Turing was one of the best mathematicians and cryptanalysts in the world at the time (1930s-40s), and arguably one of the forefathers of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. One of his key contributions was during the Second World War, when he, along with a team of cryptanalysts, helped build a machine at Bletchley Park, England, that could decode the German cipher-texts flying through the air and thus helped the Allies win the war. His story has been told from his viewpoint, with the beautiful (often gruesome) picture of early 20th century England in the background. The film runs in three time frames concurrently - Alan's childhood, events at Bletchley Park, and the investigation involving Turing in 1951. Many filmmakers do this to try and develop a sense of mystery. This is not the case here, and it comes as a welcome approach, as the viewer is able to appreciate the various dimensions of Turing's personality in a coherent fashion.
Many key aspects of Turing's life are aptly covered, like his relationship with a "friend" in school, his utter genius when at Bletchley Park and his acceptance of his sexual orientation, which ultimately led to his demise due to the harsh punishments imposed by the British authorities. More notable though, is that the movie explores the relationship between the key characters in detail, instead of rushing through them, as is sometimes the case with biographies of prodigies. The equation between Turing and his colleague, Miss Joan Clarke, for example, has been portrayed in utmost detail, and full credit to Cumberbatch and Knightley for bringing it out in a fashion that doesn't make the conclusion seemed forced, as I had feared for the nature of that relationship.
The colors and imagery used point towards certain recurrent themes, and seem to tie the movie together. Many shots depict the turbulence of war, the clouds of smoke, the violence and the atrocities, and the sheer helplessness of the British in that time in a manner that makes the viewer sensitive to these issues, even though much of the shooting is based inside Bletchley Park's code-breaking center, away from all the heaps of rubble and streams of blood. The soundtrack has been intelligently done, but seems a bit mismatched at times with what is happening on screen. The lighting is mostly a bit dull, but I think that fits in with the theme.
The costumes tie in well with the place and time. The young Alan is strikingly similar to the older one, which demands commendation for the attention to detail. His looks, his way of speaking and his demeanor bear a resemblance to the Turing who walked into Commander Denniston's office for a job as a cryptanalyst.
Benedict Cumberbatch has done full justice to his role of Alan Turing. He does come across as a self-absorbed mathematician, not too good at interpersonal relationships or working in teams, but persevering, intellectual and ruthlessly pragmatic.
I feel that, majoring in Computer Science myself, Turing's seminal research and his thoughts about future computers should have been highlighted more. His vision of a general purpose reprogrammable machine was unique at the time, and his ideas for artificial intelligence, which gave birth to the Turing test, or "The Imitation Game", could have been explored in more depth. Also, the fate of Miss Joan Clarke after Turing's death would have been a welcome addition to the ending.
Overall, I felt that the film was a huge success - being a biography of a mathematician, it never seemed boring or too preachy, even though the story wasn't wrapped in an artificial envelope of mystery and drama. It was simple, honest and moving. I wish that other biographies look up to The Imitation Game and try to emulate the standards set herein.
"Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine."