Set in the midst of WWII, The Imitation Game shadows the life of Alan Turing, responsible for designing the machine that would “break the Nazi code and win the war.”
Socially awkward genius and mathematician, Turing enjoys puzzles. Solving a method to break the Nazi code is his next challenge. During WWII, the Germans used an inscription device called the “Enigma,” to transmit their codes and battle plans. Alongside his team members, Turning races against the clock as countless lives are lost every minute they spend trying to crack the notorious code.
The film is based on a true story and Turning is credited with shortening the war by about two to three years. He essentially created the world’s first computer and aided in the Allies’ victory.
“Sometimes it is the people that no one imagines anything of that do the things that no one can imagine,” was repeated several times and became the underlying theme.  During the time period, women were not expected to partake in this type of work, yet the female protagonist played by Keira Knightley only reaffirmed that women were just as capable as men. I enjoyed how they upheld her for her intellect, and how even Turing valued that in her.
Although the movie portrays Turing as a haughty rude character at the start, it is difficult not to love him by the end of it. Despite how many obstacles continue to strike his path, his unyielding belief in his own capabilities is inspiring and in a sense, admirable.
Benedict Cumberbatch did a spectacular job of playing Alan Turing, who in some elements, resembled Cumberbatch’s rendition of Sherlock due to the similar intensities of their intellect. Even if there could have been slight improvements to the film, Cumberbatch’s acting was impeccable. He gave emotion to this character who was portrayed as a lifeless computing machine.
At one point, it is revealed that Turing is in fact homosexual. Turning was faced with many challenges because of his sexuality and ordered to take testosterone pills to suppress his “illness.” He was not officially pardoned by the queen for being homosexual until 2013, which raises potential questions about the matter. Do we belittle the accomplishments of others simply because of their sexuality?
In essence, the movie was very heartwarming while still providing some historical accuracy.The slightest bit of historical awareness would have aided in enjoying the film, but for those who had no knowledge of WWII, the movie would have still been entertaining.