by Lorie Lewis Ham
Special coupon for Dinuba Platinum Theatre at the end of this review.
The Imitation Game tells the story of the brilliant, though socially awkward, Alan Turing, and the breaking of the German’s Enigma code during World War II. Turing was also a pioneer of modern day computing.
Turing, a mathematician, leads a group of scholars, linguists, chess champions, and intelligence officers charged with breaking the unbreakable codes of Germany’s World War II Enigma machine, and hopefully win the war. The movie is based on the true story that went unknown for many years because the project was so top secret. Not only was this an unusual group of people to call upon to win a war, but thanks to Turing, it also included a woman, Joan Clarke (Keira Knightly), which was unheard of at the time for such a project. 
However, this is more than just the story of Turing’s tremendous role in winning the war, it is the story of his life, which was filled with heartbreak and loneliness as he was also a homosexual, something considered illegal at the time. We go back and forth in time in the telling of Turing’s story, opening the movie in 1952 when British authorities enter his home to investigate a reported burglary, and end up charging him with “gross indecency,” an accusation that would lead to his devastating conviction for the criminal offense of homosexuality. Little did the police know the hero they were arresting. How he is treated, and how his life ends, is absolutely heartbreaking. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Turing and definitely deserves his Oscar nomination for his superb portrayal of this brilliant and tortured man.
This is an intense, incredible, and moving story. As they try to find a way to break Enigma, you are on the edge of your seat as every day of not breaking it means more lives lost in the war. But this is so much more than just a story about the war, it is the story of people and relationships. I loved watching the relationships in this group grow and change throughout the movie, for Turing was not an easy person to get along with–he was a genius and he knew it–but in the end he learns a lot about friendship and caring for others from Joan and the rest of his group. There is also a strong message here about not judging someone just because they are different. My favorite line in the whole movie is one that Turing learns from his friend Christopher when they are boys and later is repeated throughout the movie- “Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.”
The Imitation Game thoroughly deserves its Oscar nomination for Best Film, and I will be routing for it to win on February 22. This is without a doubt one of the best movies I have ever seen. When a movie can move you like this one, and tell such an interesting and incredible and true story, it’s a winner all the way!
The Imitation Game is currently playing at Dinuba Platinum Theatres 6, also in 3D. Showtimes can be found on their website. Platinum Theaters Dinuba 6 now proudly presents digital quality films in 2-D and 3-D with 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound to maximize your movie experience.
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