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This biography delivered on two fronts. It was entertaining and informative. A good movie that can master that blend will last. I was aware of Alan Turing and his work but never really understood the things that he had to go through. After the film I again feel bad for what we, as a people, do to our own species. He was a brilliant person who may have been a jerk but his work did help the war effort in World War II. I know that we won the war. However this film had me on the edge of my seat, not sure if we were going to make it. That is a good movie,worthy of a Green light.
During World War II, the Germans have a code machine that is unbreakable. The Allied forces have 18 hours to work out the code before the Germans change the code and they have to start all over again. Alan Turing(Benedict Cumberbatch) has an idea for a machine that could render the enigma machine unless. Will he get the support for this crazy idea? He recruits Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) as she is brilliant and passes the application test with impressive times. They work together in making this machine work, while she works on getting Alan to be more sociable with his co-workers.
Benedict Cumberbatch is everywhere in the geek-sphere. He has popped up in so many of my favorite genres and roles that I was interested in this film just because of him. He does an excellent job of capturing the mannerisms and the essence of a person who is a social outcast. He has gotten a lot of heroic roles so it was great to see him pull this off. It really shows off the depth of his performance chops.
This is the second film I have seen with Keira Knightley recently and watching her performances almost back to back also shows off her skill. Her American Accent was put to the test in Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit, good overall, but her attitude and was completely different in this film. They are both strong characters but one is playing with the rules of propriety and the other is completely American.
What I knew of Alan Turing was that he was the namesake for the Turing test his name and he was pardoned for the crime of being gay in 2009. That is an incredibly long time to final get round to recognizing someone. The tension they build in the story really brings you into the movie. I was completely nervous that they wouldn't solve the enigma machine and the Germans were going to win.
The Theory of Everything is also out at round the same time. These films are going head to head in Best Actor category. I have a feeling Eddie Redmayne will win for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. However I will be rooting for Benedict Cumberbatch because it was a more engaging role.
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