At the outset of World War II, the British government set out to assemble the finest cryptographic young minds in the country in a top secret effort to crack the purportedly unbreakable Nazi coding machine Enigma. Joining the squad, and summarily taking over its leadership while alienating all fellow members and commanding officers, is Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), an ingenious, irascible, and almost sociopathic mathematics professor who, with much opposition, begins the costly construction of a primitive computer that will hopefully be the key to decryption and thus turning the tide of war. From Andrew Hodge's book and Graham Moore's screenplay, Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game brings an extraordinary, little known story to the forefront with an informative, exciting, well paced and crafted presentation that only steps wrong its final moments with some misguided plotting that seeks to skew the aim of the film. Cumberbatch is absolutely superb in a tailor made role and Keira Knightley is delightful as a brilliant woman who helps bring Turing out of his shell.
*** 1/2 out of ****
*** 1/2 out of ****
