The Imitation Game (2014) film review

Year: 2014
Running Time: 114 minutes
Director: Morten Tyldum
Writers: Andrew Hodges (book), Graham Moore (screenplay)
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Alex Lawther

The Imitation Game is now showing in Australian cinemas and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Now showing in the United States and United Kingdom.

With an incredibly strong cast and screenplay, The Imitation Game is an extremely solid and highly enjoyable film. Looking at the relatively recent discovery of how Alan Turing and his associates came to play a major part in ending World War II, it is Benedict Cumberbatch who is at the centre of the film and truly makes it a memorable experience with his incredible performance.

In 1939 Great Britain, war has just been declared and one of the country's greatest mathematical minds, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) has just been employed by the government to help crack the code of the German's encryption device, Enigma. As Enigma's code resets each day, it is an extremely difficult talk and a race against time, but to break it would bring about the end of the war. A team of great minds are assembled alongside Alan to try to solve Enigma, including champion chess player, Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley). In order to do this, Alan builds his own machine to work against the Germans, a decision that is not made without criticism from those around him. However, if Alan can get the machine (which he has affectionately called Christopher) to crack Enigma's code, it would be the greatest weapon against the enemy and would once again bring peace to the world.

The story of Alan Turing is not only intriguing, but one which everyone should hear in order to understand that it wasn't the weapons on the battlefield that ultimately made a difference. Some of the greatest minds worked in top secret conditions to bring peace to the world. As this part of history was kept a government secret for over 50 years, this story has not been told on the screen before and brings a new understanding to the quest for peace in the war years. The Imitation Game is a truly unique experience for this reason and it's screenplay does the story of Alan Turing's life and most important achievement complete justice. As well as chronicling the war days, flashbacks to Alan's childhood are used to connect the viewer to and understand the character of Alan further. The screenplay is exceptionally well written and the dialogue very witty and surprisingly hilarious at times. As Alan Turing wasn't particularly sociable, he suffered from a lack of personal skills and his honesty and reactions to certain aspects of human behaviour and speech are highly amusing.

The film isn't continuously suspenseful, but rather has bursts of tension. These moments are actually quite eerie, as one can feel the tension of the characters on screen trying to work against time to solve the code and prevent the war continuing with thousands of lives being lost. They are connected to the war and although they are working far away from it, in the moments of silence at the end of the day you can somehow hear the sounds on the battlefield far away. The film is quite moving at times, but it is the story which is most powerful.

With the majority of The Imitation Game being set in 1939-1942, the film is incredibly nostalgic. The costumes and production design are perfect for the time period, but the attitudes captured are also time relevant. Being female, Joan is always the outsider of the group and although she is in fact a woman quite ahead of her time, the way everyone around her see's her is perfectly suited to the time period.

While the screenplay is brilliant, it is Benedict Cumberbatch that The Imitation Game will most be remembered for. Cumberbatch is absolutely brilliant as the quirky genius. He channels Turing wonderfully and gives an incredibly controlled performance. He delivers his comedic lines perfectly and is able to become likable to the viewer while behaving hostile, but he also plays the damaged Alan so well. It is a role which shows Cumberbatch's versatility as an actor as he shows the many sides of Alan with such conviction.

Although none of the other characters in the film are really given a great deal of background or development, the rest of the cast all have strong screen presences and work perfectly alongside Cumberbatch. Keira Knightley is wonderful as Joan Clarke in a performance which is also controlled and strong without being forced. Charles Dance, Mark Strong and Matthew Goode all have tremendous screen presence and also do very well.

The Imitation Game is a unique story which is not widely known, but one that should be. Benedict Cumberbatch proves his incredible versatility as an actor and ultimately carries the film to the success that it is.

8/10

Zero Dark Thirty

Year: 2012

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, James Gandolfini

Before I begin my review….

Well, well, well. A week before the 85^th Academy Awards and we make it to one of the more controversial nominees, Zero Dark Thirty.

The film which claims to give an accurate representation of Osama Bin Laden’s manhunt and death, has come under fire from the CIA and other sources depicted in the film.  It has been claimed by these sources that the film is not as accurate as what it proposes, but director, Kathryn Bigelow and writer, Mark Boal have come out defending their film. Boal quoted “It is a movie. I’ve been saying from the beginning that it is a movie. That shouldn’t be too confusing”.

I see why the CIA and other people feel the need to express what was and wasn’t completely accurate in the film, but what Zero Dark Thirty does is not unlike every other film which is based on real life events. There are certain things which are always added and exaggerated for dramatic effect so the film remains entertaining.

Many have believed that the controversy the film has created has hurt its chance at receiving any of the awards at this year’s Oscars. Personally, I think it may play a tiny part, but, as Boal said, it is a film and it is being judged at the awards as a film and not on its publicity.

Although I think Zero Dark Thirty is a very good film and it is one of the five films that really has a good chance of winning Best Picture, I am not convinced it will. I would love to see Kathryn Bigelow win her second Best Picture Oscar and I can’t help but feel that she is another director whom the academy have made a mistake leaving out of the nominations. So my final word on the matter is that it is another film I would love to see win, but I don’t think the odds are in its favour.

Then there is the amazingly versatile and brilliant Jessica Chastain who is up for Best Performance by an Actress. She is very deserving of her nomination and is also deserving of her first Oscar. However, it is a tough race to the finish with her and Jennifer Lawrence neck and neck. Chastain’s performance is a lot more subtle than Lawrence’s .Personally, I would love to give Chastain an award just for the person she comes across as every time you see her on TV. She seems incredibly down to earth and so appreciative of everything that happens to her. She has sparkle in her and she just makes you want to sit down with her and have a conversation that leaves you both in hysterics.

Review

Don’t be fooled, Zero Dark Thirty is not Kathryn Bigelow’s last film, The Hurt Locker.

Although the two may look similar on the outside due to their locations and war themes, Zero Dark Thirty storyline flows through the film and gains momentum as it progresses. It is a thrilling ride and proves that even if the world knows the end of the story, that isn’t an excuse for lack of suspense.

After September 11 2001, the CIA starts the greatest man hunt in history for the man behind it all, Osama Bin Laden. CIA agent, Maya (Jessica Chastain) is sent to Pakistan to interrogate detainees in the quest to track down Bin Laden’s whereabouts. She obsessively searches for the man and his closest confiders for eight years before there is finally a breakthrough that she believes leads directly to the place where Bin Laden has been hiding all these years.

Films based on true events are often expected not to be suspenseful or thrilling as such because you know how they are going to finish. However, Zero Dark Thirty does not fit into this category. The film is incredibly tense at times and the final 20 minutes is nail-biting. Bigelow has the uncanny ability to not rely on a musical score to be the provider of suspense and create tension by letting the audience know early on that high pressure moments can come from nothing. She therefore keeps the audience on the edge of their seats because they are not sure what is going to happen next.

The script is very in depth and you feel as if you can’t miss a word of what the characters are saying because you might miss something. This is another amazing thing for a film which is over 2 and ½ hours long. You would think with that length that there would be lots of moments of nothing, but writer, Marl Boal has packed nearly eight years into this film and there is plenty to go through. Every scene means something for the film, whether it be in the progression of the story or in character development and growth.

The editing is brilliantly done and at some points, the cinematography can be really quite beautiful. The vision of the helicopters in the night sky over Pakistan is breath taking.

Jessica Chastain is a wonderful leading lady. She exhibits perfect growth in her character by going from an almost meek girl on her first days of interrogation, to being emotionally and mentally exhausted and then completely gaining momentum to take control of the whole project. She is relatable and the audience builds a relationship with her. You want her to succeed and care about her.

Mark Strong and Kyle Chandler also give very good performances and create great support for Chastain.

Kathryn Bigelow has done it again with Zero Dark Thirty by providing us with another fantastic movie that has the ability to give you the unfortunate outcome of a sore back or neck from unbelievable tension.

9/10



References
New York Daily News
The Telegraph

Robin Hood

Robin Hood
Year: 2010
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong

In My Own Words
There have been so many Robin Hood adaptations over the years. Robin Hood is actually quite a complex topic, a lot more complex than what I ever thought the story or the person actually was. Until I saw Ridley Scott’s latest adaptation of the folk story, I had always assumed that Robin Hood was a fictional, but now I find that this may not be the case. Well, it is a mystery as to whether Robin Hood did actually exist or not. Many people have speculated over the years as to whether he is just folk lore and was made up to cheer on the underdog or if there was a real person. According to research done over the years, there are several figures in history whom Robin Hood could have been based on. In my curiosity, I came across a fantastic site by the name of “Robin Hood Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood” (http://www.boldoutlaw.com/realrob/realrob2.html) . Allen W. Wright, the owner and writer of this site, has done some fantastic research of who the real Robin Hood was. According to Wright, there are a number of people whom the story of Robin Hood could be based on, such as Robyn Hood who worked in the kings court in the 1300’s, or Robert Hood who was from just outside Barnsdale and who’s wife was Matilda, which is what Maid Marian was also known by in some versions. Nobody has yet made a conclusion as to whether the legend of Robin Hood was based on a single individual, or if he is the result of the combination of many different historical figures. Whether the legend of the man himself is true or not, there is no denying that he has not only inspired many books, films and stage plays over the years, but he has been a representation of how the good hearted underdog can always triumph over the oppressor.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the 2010 Robin Hood will triumph as anyone’s favourite Robin Hood adaptation. Not as heartfelt as 1991’s “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves”, even though that still isn’t my favourite Robin Hood adaptation. You can’t go past Disney’s 1973 animated version. Who can go outdo the brilliance of Robin being a crafty fox and Prince John and King Richard being lions? The fox Robin Hood is my perfect Robin Hood, although Kevin Costner and Errol Flynn are not far behind. Even though Russell Crowe is the oldest actor thus far to play the hero, he still fits the role and is the perfect choice out of today’s actors to do the job.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Ridley Scott’s 2010 version of ‘Robin Hood’, which opened the Cannes Film Festival yesterday, is unlike other Robin Hood tales. This latest version is the prequel to traditional Robin Hood legends where Robin conquers over the Sheriff of Nottingham and sides with King Richard. Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) is an archer in King Richards army when he is entrusted to deliver the kings crown back to London when he has been killed in battle, as the initial carrier, Robert Loxley(Douglas Hodge) is killed by Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong). Upon returning to Loxley’s hometown of Nottingham, he encounters Loxley’s widow, Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett) and finds out more about where he himself has come from. During this time, he is treated as a hero in Nottingham and wins the affections of Lady Marian. Upon discovering who he really is, Robin and his group of men set off to defend their country and rise up against higher powers in society.

The main disappointment about this film is that it starts off so strong. The beginning is so promising, with action and perfect character development. However, it does not maintain its excellence throughout the course of the film. When each of the characters are introduced, they are in such a way that the audience forms an emotional opinion about each one of them. For example, Prince John is in his very first scene obnoxious, immature and crude, exactly the way you would expect and want Prince John to be. Although he is so vulgar, it is almost exciting to see such a strong first impression of a character. Unfortunately, the film isn’t constructed in its entirety to maintain this strong opinion. This is no fault of the actors, but more of the scriptwriters and Scott as more effort should have been put into ensuring that the audience maintains an emotional connection to the characters. The actors definitely do all they can with the roles they are given. Russell Crowe is a perfect Robin Hood. He is an unlikely hero who is rough around the edges, but still shows his vulnerability and soft side. Cate Blanchett is also beautiful as Lady Marian and is also a lady, but definitely rough around the edges just like Crowe. Therefore, these two have a great on screen chemistry, but again, there is not enough to show how these two fell so deeply in love. It feels like it happened quite suddenly. Mark Strong is great as Sir Godfrey and Oscar Isaac is also very good as Prince John.

However, there is no denying that “Robin Hood” is a well made film. Medieval England and France are recreated so beautifully. The scenery is breathtaking and the way in which it is captured on film is commendable. Scott’s choice of settings for each scene is perfect, especially for the battle scenes. The editing is also very well done and the score is perfectly suited to every scene that it accompanies. It should also be mentioned that Scott does not fall into the trap that many other films about this era do, he does not cave into the idea that medieval England was glamorous. The wilderness is still a rugged place and only the king and queen have costumes which could be considered fashionable. It is definitely not the way the film is made that is the let down, but rather the way the story is carried out. Despite the majority of the audience knowing what the outcome will be, there is still no suspense or tension. Although the film is 2 ½ hours long, it does not feel that long and it is actually confusing why so little is accomplished in this time.

This latest adaptation of the Robin Hood legend is nowhere near as powerful as what it should be. It could be so much more, but instead is just very soft and dry. It is still a good watch, as there is some impeccable acting and cinematography. Adventure lovers will enjoy seeing this film, as will fans of Crowe’s work.
6.5/10