The Ingenious Genius

Rating: 9/10 (10 November 2014)

This is a story about a saviour. An un-sung hero of World War II; Alan Turing, a genius British mathematician who secretly worked tirelessly to decode the German 'Enigma' code within the now famous Hut 8 of Bletchley Park. Remarkably, his breakthroughs in cryptography and technological achievements are still realized today in the form of 'Turing Machines' – to me and you, these are now called computers.
We first meet Alan after the events of World War II within the confines of an interrogation room, here accused of the then indecency of his homosexuality. It is here we are transported into Alan's world, where when questioned about his work at Bletchley Park does he oblige, peeling back the seemingly cold-blooded, narcissistic veneer with a detailed narrative on his work, leading a team of linguists, mathematicians and problem solvers.
Alan's clinical, precise and unrelenting witty focus to achieve the impossible begins to alienate his team mates and superiors, which ultimately creates a rift in support of Alan's grand plans to build a cutting-edge machine to help decipher the infamous German code. It is here we see the real Alan – the exposed Alan, in which his absolute genius forgoes his interpersonal skill set. This is a challenge in itself for Alan to embark upon, and it's a real heart- warming treat to watch how his relationships develop with his peers to an ultimate conclusion of sacrifice, friendship and mutual respect. Benedict Cumberbatch ultimately lays bare the man that Alan Turing was; a real man of warmth and soul that the numerous writings and texts after Alan's death in 1954, fails to capture.
For a man who struggles with his words of affection toward others, we observe his capacity for compassion when he meets fellow mathematician Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), who herself is struggling with social hierarchy and her place as a woman in the 1940s on Alan's secretive team. It is not long before we see the genius of her work as she proves not only to play a pivotal role in the collaboration to break the 'Enigma' but she also provides Alan with moral guidance and support through his time working alongside her at Bletchley Park.
It is apparent by the film's sombre conclusion that the somewhat brief and seemingly convenient engagement to Joan actually had a profound impact in Alan's life. Kiera Knightley's portrayal of Joan Clarke is certainly her most refreshingly spunky performance of late, bringing emotional weight to the tale of Alan Turing. She is essentially the yin to his yang and not for Alan's choice of sexuality (itself illegal in the mid-1900s), would they be the perfect team and companion for one another. It's delightful but ultimately fateful to watch on screen as the story begins to unfold and race towards its conclusion.
It is fitting that the breakthrough in cracking the German's code comes courtesy of an epiphany of love – sometimes love makes us do things we don't always intend.
It is emotionally trying to see the eventual outcome of Alan and his teams' work at Bletchley Park be ultimately foreshadowed by the politics and implications of Alan's homosexuality.
Based on the book; Alan Turing: The Enigma, by Andrew Hodges, Director Morten Tyldum makes his English language debut here with none of the frantic mania that came with Headhunters, but with a more structured and methodical approach that flits between Alan's youth, middle-age and his work during World War II.
The screenplay by Graham Moore is crafted with beautiful complexity and precision, gleefully layering in key events from Alan's life, compounding the reality of his tragic end – the relentless bullying at boarding school, his fondness of a fellow student that ultimately ends in tragedy, the constant pressure of hundreds if not thousands of lives lost every day, the discovery of a Russian double agent embedded within Hut 8, all whilst bearing the weight of the consequences of his sexuality, itself the focus of an investigation after the fact in the 1950s in an attempt by a keen detective (played by Rory Kinnear) to act on a Policeman's hunch, after investigating a reported break-in of Alan's place of residence.
The simple but terrific score by Alexandre Desplat elevates the emotive narrative; and compounds into reality, the harsh realisation of war.
The Imitation Game is the perfect platform in which to showcase the true acting chops of Benedict Cumberbatch in a performance that will remain very memorable indeed and a highlight of his career – a front runner for the Best Actor gong for sure. The best of British cast, including Kiera Knightly, Mark Strong and Charles Dance all prove to be very able in their supportive roles, not forgetting Alex Lawther in his breakthrough role of young Alan Turing also doing fine work here.
Whilst not absolute perfection on all accounts – some pacing issues mid-way through; and jarring usage of CGI depicting sequences on the front line aside, this is clearly a passion project of everyone involved, and one that I can firmly say that without a doubt was very interesting, surprising and emotionally engaging to watch. If this film brings the story of Alan Turing (and rightfully so) to the masses, then I'm in full support. You should be too.
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