The next review in our series of Oscar nominated pictures will be The Imitation Game.With seven Oscar nominations (including for Best Picture), 1 Oscar win (for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay), and ranked 207 on the IMDB Top 250, The Imitation Game was easily one of the most decorated movies of 2014 and was one of the most hyped. The story of Alan Turing (which only became known in recent years) is one of the most intriguing ones out there. For those of you who don't know, Turing was a Cambridge professor who played a big role in cracking the German Enigma machine. Without his efforts, Nazi Germany might have won World War II. However, Turing was prosecuted because of his homosexuality, which was then seen as a crime in Britain. Because Turing's work was classified for a long period, it has only recently been celebrated. The story of Turing (along with Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch playing Turing) drew a lot of attention and Oscar buzz. At one point, many were sure The Imitation Game would win Best Picture and Cumberbatch would win Best Actor. Though neither of those predictions would come true, the film was a massive success, both financially and critically.
The movie revolves around Turing's life (everything from his school years to his life after the war)and it does a beautiful job of telling it. Keira Knightley (who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) played the role of Joan Clarke, who helped Turing break the Enigma and was engaged to him for six months. The two have fantastic chemistry together that makes the movie even more enjoyable to watch. While Knightley is definitely deserving of her nomination, it is Cumberbatch's performance that steals the show. He does an absolutely masterful job as Turing, managing to capture every essence of Turing's personality.
Morten Tyldum (who received a nomination for Best Director) does a great job organizing the scenes, allowing everything to flow well and tell Turing's story. The score (which earned Alexandre Desplat a nomination) is absolutely beautiful and punctuates the movie wonderfully. The title song is hauntingly beautiful and will transport you back to the movie every time you listen to it.
The Imitation Game was one of the best movies of 2014 and Benedict Cumberbatch gave an iconic performance that will be remembered for years to come. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.
