The Imitation Game: Film Reviews #5

Alan Turing: Was I God? No. Because God didn't win the war. We did.



        A calculated risk. What does that mean to you personally? Perhaps it is the point when you decide to to buy a 2$ lottery ticket because the chance of winning a huge pile of money (as slim as it is) completely outruns the investment you made. But would you be able to sacrifice 1 000 lives in order to safe 1 000 000? Would making that choice deprive you as a human being? Would you consider yourself a God?
        It may not seem like it, but deep down these are the questions that The Imitation Game implants in your brain, it forces you to consider if you have what it takes the be great. Are you paying attention? breathes Cumberbatch's character in the opening scene and you find that you can hardly do anything else but listen closely. The film is exceptionally gripping, especially in the beginning, and it makes you forget about the world around you.I am not going to dwell on the plot itself that much, it is merely a setting upon which Benedict Cumberbatch did the performance of a lifetime. He is so outstanding as the mathematician Alan Turing that it made me forget how much I hate his stupid name and how unbelievably irritating he was. The way he is able to play a person so deprived from most basic human emotions is simply out of this world. And by saying most emotions I should probably explain myself - the one he is not missing is love (not required, unfortunately) which adds an odd spin to the character and brings him closer  to the viewer. 
       The rest of the cast does a tremendous job as well, in particular Kiera Knightley, exceptionally depicting the friend or sort of love interest of Turing - Joan Clarke. Bringing much needed warmth and humor to the plot, she quickly wins the viewers' hearts as the only woman around her fellows, breaking the code faster than all of them. She is honest and direct and becomes the needed wall for Alan to bounce off his stupid ideas of - in the end of the day we all need someone to put some sense into us.he rest of the all-British ensemble fits together effortlessly and really breathes life into this WW II drama.
       In conclusion, I would strongly recommend this film to anyone who has a heart for it. It is an honestly touching story of a hero that was never recognized and praised in his time, but has directly played a role in saving millions of lives. It is unfair and frankly heart-breaking to come to grips with how brutal "different" men were treated when all they ever did was devote their lives to the country. In the end, all they got was misery and depression when in fact they should have been the ones to celebrate the most. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Joan Clarke: Do you know, this morning I was on a train that went through a city that wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you. I bought a ticket from a man who would likely be dead if it wasn't for you. Now, if you wish you could have been normal... I can promise you I do not.