Movie Review: The Imitation Game

Rated PG-13

115 minutes

Directed by Morten Tyldum

*Just as a note, I saw this movie 2 months ago, so this review will be recalling things as best as possible, but it could be inaccurate, so... believe what you will.*

The fact that it's taken me 2 months to write a review perhaps says something about the film. I liked the film just fine, but it never entered my mind to write a review to you guys without being provoked by myself. It's more of a film that's all nice and good in the moment, but it never enters your mind unexpectedly. I made myself think about it, or my thoughts about it were triggered by something else, so they were never organic thoughts. This speaks to the conventionality of the film greatly, as it never reinvents the wheel.

However, you don't need to reinvent the wheel to make something special. These tropes are tropes for a reason, and The Imitation Game proves that rather well. It's definitely engaging while you watch it, and part of that is due to the fact that pretty much everything is executed rather well. One of the more engaging parts of this film is the score. That score is something engaging, something that breaks out of the typical mold of biopics. Instead of being overwhelmingly classical and somewhat preachy, this score is understated and mysterious, much like the man, Alan Turing, himself. It fits the film beautifully, and is quite possibly the best part of the film.

Not to be undone, the performances are also quite good. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing pretty similarly to how he plays Sherlock on the BBC show Sherlock. Combined with a good script from Graham Moore, he pulls off an impressive performance that manages to combine a sense of pomp and fragility, and it works. I also really liked Mark Strong in his brief role, and he makes the most out of a limited role. He's much like the film, he doesn't do anything to make his role different, but just ends up doing it really well.

All in all, The Imitation Game isn't technically bad, in fact it's quite good, but its lack of creativity ultimately deems it somewhat forgettable. The execution is there, but the idea is something flawed. The fact that it didn't reinvent the wheel is something of a blessing and a curse, because while it still elevates the tropes of the standard biopic, it definitely still had those tropes.

3.5/5

B