I don't see a lot of films these days, but it hit 41 degrees C here Saturday & I don't have aircon, so of to the local cinema. There was a good crowd - partly driven by a desire to escape the heat I suspect.
For those who aren't aware, this is a film about Alan Turing, probably the key figure in the breaking of German ENIGMA codes during WW2. He was also a central figure in the development of modern computers. I've had an interest in Turing for years. One of those tragic geniuses whose work touched billions of lives, but who is under recognized & under appreciated outside academia.
Positives: Benedict Cumberbatch was great as Turing. Really brought depth & pathos to the role. Great support cast too. I don't think I've seen Mark Strong in a bad role. I'm also pleased that this film will bring the story to a generation who would know little about it & an audience who might not much care otherwise. The film looks good too, and the story moves along nicely.
Negatives: Does violence to the facts. I don't want to come across as overly pedantic here. I do get that films feel the need to oversimplify & muck around with facts to create recognizable tropes - the tragic hero struggling alone against unbending authority. I also get that facts get shunted about to condense big, complex events into bits-sized chunks. However, I do draw the line at mischaracterizing people to the point of slander, especially when it is pure invention. This happens with Turing himself & with his boss. It is even more unfortunate as many in the audience will have their understanding of these events largely or entirely shaped by this film. Most of the contrivances are excusable, but one or two could have been dropped for the sake of not defaming the dead.
Having said that, it is an enjoyable & worthwhile film & it puts the achievements of one of the more remarkable & important people of the C20th centre stage. Worth a visit to the Cinema.
My suggestion is that if anyone does see the film, read this afterward (its short):
The Imitation Game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and if you have the inclination, this too:
Alan Turing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For those who aren't aware, this is a film about Alan Turing, probably the key figure in the breaking of German ENIGMA codes during WW2. He was also a central figure in the development of modern computers. I've had an interest in Turing for years. One of those tragic geniuses whose work touched billions of lives, but who is under recognized & under appreciated outside academia.
Positives: Benedict Cumberbatch was great as Turing. Really brought depth & pathos to the role. Great support cast too. I don't think I've seen Mark Strong in a bad role. I'm also pleased that this film will bring the story to a generation who would know little about it & an audience who might not much care otherwise. The film looks good too, and the story moves along nicely.
Negatives: Does violence to the facts. I don't want to come across as overly pedantic here. I do get that films feel the need to oversimplify & muck around with facts to create recognizable tropes - the tragic hero struggling alone against unbending authority. I also get that facts get shunted about to condense big, complex events into bits-sized chunks. However, I do draw the line at mischaracterizing people to the point of slander, especially when it is pure invention. This happens with Turing himself & with his boss. It is even more unfortunate as many in the audience will have their understanding of these events largely or entirely shaped by this film. Most of the contrivances are excusable, but one or two could have been dropped for the sake of not defaming the dead.
Having said that, it is an enjoyable & worthwhile film & it puts the achievements of one of the more remarkable & important people of the C20th centre stage. Worth a visit to the Cinema.
My suggestion is that if anyone does see the film, read this afterward (its short):
The Imitation Game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and if you have the inclination, this too:
Alan Turing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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