"The Imitation Game" is a powerful statement against homophobia. Here's my personal reaction:
If you don't already know, it is a bio-film about Alan Turing, the inventor of the computer, and one of the unsung heroes of WW2.
Let me say upfront that I am NOT an unbiased, trained film critic.
So, I went in to the movie expecting to love it, and I was not disappointed!
Benedict Cumberbatch proves (once again) that he is one of the greatest actors of our generation and if this movie doesn't get him at least an Academy nomination it will be criminal.
But, in fairness, I will start with the weaknesses of the film.
1) It is a bit heavy-handed with the catch-phrases. As in Spiderman's "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility!" Pithy statements should be limited to once, or at very most, twice - if a sense of closure is needed. Any more and it wanders dangerously close to comedic territory.
2) Some scenes definitely felt like they were ENHANCED FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT! Of course, film is not real life, and I get that things need to be expressed in an art form differently than exactly as they happened, but some scenes really pushed the believability envelope.
Criticisms out of the way - I loved this film!
The acting was incredibly good, not just by Cumberbatch but everyone was great.
A few performances I'll single out:
Mark Strong has been sneaking up on me for a while now. He was a better villain than Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" deserved. (Actually, everyone in that movie was better than the movie deserved).
And, he was really wonderful in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy".
Here, he's the perfect MI6 agent: polished, clever, manipulative, and dangerous.
Someone please cast this guy in a leading role, he deserves it!
Kiera Knightley as Turing's friend and briefly his fiancee might be too much of a looker for the part (some critics of the film have complained that the real Joan was plain), but her acting is spot on.
She's a woman who happens to be a mathematical genius, but there's no room for her to be both in 1940s England - even with a war going on.
Her relationship with Turing as it unfolds on screen is so genuine and organic that you find yourself rooting for it to flourish even though you know it is doomed. As Joan points out, they really do love each other, which is an advantage that many couples don't have.
Their final scene together, at almost the very end of the movie had me crying.
What can I really say about Benedict Cumberbatch that I haven't said before? His Alan Turing is riveting to watch. The story arc of the character as he goes from being an emotionally frozen child to a man finally in touch with his emotions is a performance that I think will really (finally) launch Cumberbatch onto the "A" list of Hollywood.
Of course, the ultimate take-away of the movie is the terrible, horrible price we pay as individuals and a society when we allow bigotry to dictate our actions. Alan Turing was one of the most important minds of the 20th century - inventing and building the first computer and being instrumental in winning WW2 - and how was he repaid?
Prosecuted for "indecency"
for being a homosexual) and chemically castrated.
What would he have gone on to do if he hadn't been driven to suicide at 41?
Or, just imagine what he would have done if he'd been free to live a life out of the shadows, not always living in fear and self-loathing?
The movie is a stark reminder of the actual BURDENS society needlessly bears by maintaining attitudes of sexism and homophobia.
I can't help but think of the recent pronouncements by the Catholic Church acknowledging that gays have gifts to give the Church. Yes! Like the Sistine Chapel Ceiling!
When people are allowed to live and give of their talents, beautiful, important things are accomplished. When we hate and fear we are impoverished, not to mention cruel.
"The Imitation Game" will be released on November 21st. Please go see it and encourage others to see it.
And no, other than being a fan girl, I am not invested monetarily or otherwise in this film.
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Our homophobic culture has tortured and killed so many people.
Homophobia is nothing but a cruel superstition.
