●●●○○

Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the role of enigmatic cryptographic genius Alan Turing with aplomb in The Imitation Game. Turing is a tragic figure, a pioneering and hugely influential computer scientist credited with ending WWII years early by breaking Nazi codes for the Allies, but whose later life was marred by the horrific punishment of chemical castration for engaging in homosexual acts. The narrative mostly focuses on his war years, and co-stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode as his fellow codebreakers.

The Imitation Game attempts an exploration of human behaviour but fails to do so with the exception of a couple of emotional scenes set during Turing’s schoolboy past where we see him developing a deep crush on classmate Christopher. These scenes ultimately amount to little, especially alongside shallow explorations of his adult homosexuality. The internal conflict, psychological distress and potentially devastating consequences of being homosexual in the 1940s are never fully examined, and the film instead tries and fails to draw suspense from a war seen countless times before on screen.

There is no consideration of the government’s hand in his downfall, a huge betrayal given his tireless WWII work, nor are the unjust laws or the full extent of his punishment really addressed. The film benefits from being beautifully shot with a bouncy score and an incredibly deep and potentially award-winning performance from Cumberbatch who manages to navigate the subtle intricacies and true genius of Turing so well that it’s a shame the plot is full of wasted opportunities.