Possibly the best British movie of the year

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2014)

The Imitation Game has Benedict Cumberbatch playing Alan Turing. The film shows various different points of Turing's life: His difficult school life, his triumphs during the war and his conviction for his homosexuality after the war. The film drifts through these various timelines in a non linear way and paints a brilliant portrait of Turing. His conviction following the war could have been focused on more and Keira Knightly is a bit jarring, but TIG is unshaken by its flaws and emerges a triumphant and deeply moving historical drama. Like many Oscar baiting movies it's all about the acting. Benedict Cumberbatch is absolutely outstanding as Turing and as far as I'm concerned he's the best actor Oscar front runner for 2014. Everyone else is good as well, and Keira Knightly isn't totally unbearable. The acting is what makes the film and the film might be less memorable without Benedict, but the other elements of the film are well done too.
Although the script uses a line to do with people others think nothing of doing something extraordinary a bit too often, otherwise it's a sensitive, moving and well written character study. All 3 of the parts from Turing's life are very well done. The part about his school life is very powerful and sad; the war part is suspenseful and fascinating while the final part revolving around his decline following the war is incredibly moving. The direction is very good as well and injects the film with real tension and power. TIG is in general told, directed and acted excellently and it's a very interesting and moving film. It's certainly not the feel good film of the year, but it is one of the best films of the year. It also doesn't feel like it's being made just to get awards and doesn't have that off putting Oscar baiting vibe to it. Even better than Nolan's Interstellar, TIG is an extraordinary movie and really deserves to be seen. And the best actor Oscar goes too....
9/10