Review: The Imitation Game (2014)

So I finally got around to seeing The Imitation Game.

Okay first, let me tackle the historical inaccuracies of the film first, so that way all the negative things I have to say are out of the way first.

I don't quite understand why they had to make Alan Turing another vaguely autistic genius like many of these 'brilliant math people' movies do. Apparently the REAL Turing did in fact have a sense of humor and generally got along with his fellows while working on Bombe during the war. Also, I don't know why they pulled the whole 'chemical castration ruined his brain' thing when, in real life, he in fact wrote a complex paper on biochemical reactions while taking his state-ordered castration medication. Would have actually made it more interesting to see him moving forward in spite of the hardships, instead of the whole 'driven to suicide' thing (which might I mention is a point of intense debate among Turing biographers). I feel that Turing's story untouched as it happened would have been just as interesting, if not more so.

I don't know that's just me.

BUT, even with the historical hiccups, The Imitation Game is a solidly made, solidly acted film, and is, for the most part, deserving of the critical acclaim it's gotten.
Morton Tyldum directs the film very well, if in a subdued and mild-mannered way. It isn't the ultra eye cacthing style of say, Selma or Birdman, but it's assured and well paced, with good solid shots and a good sense of how to move the story along, which is very good.

Benedict Cumberbatch's performance is also deserving of the praise and Oscar nomination, as he plays the fictionalized Turing perfectly. While like I said before with the real Turing being considerably more sociable, Cumberbatch is still able to pull off the hyper awkward, borderline Asperger's Syndrome suffering version of Turing that the screenplay offers us perfectly. He delivers genuine emotion and feeling, and, despite Film!Turing's somewhat arrogant and stuck up nature, he's still able to be likable and sympathetic throughout, and really gives a stellar performance. In fact, without Cumberbatch, I feel the film would be nowhere near as good, but I'll discuss that when I get to the screenplay.

Keira Knightley also gives a strong performance as Joan Clarke, and while the film exaggerates her and Turing's relationship to an extent, it works for the movie as an entertainment piece, and Knightley plays it perfectly. She's strong without being the 'Strong Woman Who Don't Need No Man' stereotype, instead being firmly and undoubtedly feminine in every way. She's endearing and cute, without feeling cloying or overly sweet.
The rest of the cast, such as Matthew Goode and Mark Strong, all give great performances, and really elevate the film.

Now, my main gripe with the film is it's screenplay. Hopping back and forth between the time when Turing's homosexuality is discovered, to during the war to during his school days, I feel the screenplay (and by extension the film) isn't quite sure wither it wants to be a requiem for a man who was unjustly prosecuted against or an engaging look at an overlooked era in World War II history. I mean, yes, his school days would obviously influence Turing as an adult, but when contrasted with the events of WWII and the 1950s, they feel rather unnecessary. Also, the 1950s sequences feel a tad over dramatic in the way they over emphasize his symptoms while on the treatment, since, as I state before, his mind was unaffected. It comes off as somewhat narmy and over dramatic, which throws off the far superior WWII sequences. Also, naming the computer 'Christopher' after Turing's first love is a bit much to me.

The film also doesn't exactly SHOW Turing's homosexuality. Now, I'm not asking that they plaster the film wall to wall with him engaging in such activity, but we never even see him try to as much as arrange a meeting with another man, outside of one that happens entirely off screen. As such, whenever his homosexuality is mentioned, it feels a bit out of place, since he's already shown as being hyper socially awkward and difficult to work with, regardless of his sexual preference. I almost feel as if the film should have touched on that aspect of his life a bit more, and showed how it might have fed his pathos better then just sorta saying "he's awkward and gay, feel sorry for him."

Complains aside, it's still a strong film, and if anything, draws attention to a man that history has mostly passed over. The WWII sequences are the best sequences, and they're an engaging thriller overall.

I almost forgot, but Desplat's score is astounding, and without him, I feel the film would have been sorely lacking. He really helps create a wonderfully precise, dramatic and emotional score, rich with strings and pianos, that, along with Cumberbatch's exceptional performance, really helps endue it with emotion.

3.5 out of 5, kept off a full 5 stars due to the seeming lack of focus on Turing's personal life and how it affected him, and the unnecessary historical mistakes. Still worth a watch though.