Illuminating overlay

Rating: 9/10 (16 November 2014)

What an absolutely riveting watch this is! There is some superb acting in this imagined story giving an explanation of Turing's role in the code-breaking efforts at the secret Bletchley Park. Even Cumberbatch's bright blue eyes give us a story - pinched pupil's at the moment he 'separates' from Joan Clarke (Knightley), for example. Thankfully, Knightley gives us a better performance than she has done for some time, though, some dialogue could have been better formulated. I might also quibble with the less than believable hat-less and cap-less characters at times - Charles Dance's luminous white bonce should often have been under a hat and, there should have been more Brylcream in evidence. But, hey, this is a really engaging film. Motives, scenes and quotes quite likely filched from other stories are used to set the scene - and set the scene they really do. We don't necessarily have to believe them though. Turing is, in this presentation, given an Asperger-like tic - well, true or not, it helps this particular story along very well.