A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Director:
David Fincher
Stars:
Jesse Eisenberg,
Andrew Garfield,
Justin Timberlake
In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.
Director:
Jean-Marc Vallée
Stars:
Matthew McConaughey,
Jennifer Garner,
Jared Leto
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Director:
David O. Russell
Stars:
Bradley Cooper,
Jennifer Lawrence,
Robert De Niro
The story of King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
Director:
Tom Hooper
Stars:
Colin Firth,
Geoffrey Rush,
Helena Bonham Carter
An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Director:
James Cameron
Stars:
Sam Worthington,
Zoe Saldana,
Sigourney Weaver
Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Written by
Studio Canal
Five weeks before the outbreak of World War II, on 25 July 1939, in Warsaw, the Polish Cipher Bureau revealed its Enigma-decryption techniques and equipment to representatives of French and British military intelligence, which had been unable to make any headway against Enigma. This Polish intelligence-and-technology transfer would give the Allies an unprecedented advantage (Ultra) in their ultimately victorious prosecution of World War II. See more »
Goofs
Turning lists the Ardennes as one of the battle influenced by Enigma. In actuality that battle opened as a surprise to the Allies because the Germans did not use Enigma to transmit orders for that battle, but relied on telephone communications which could not be tracked at the time. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Alan Turing:
Are you paying attention? Good. If you're not listening carefully you will miss things. Important things. I will not pause, I will not repeat myself, and you will not interrupt me. If you think that because you're sitting where you are and I am sitting where I am that you are in control of what is about to happen, you 're mistaken. I am in control, because I know things that you do not know.
See more »
There is something appropriately mechanical about The Imitation Game. It has a theatrical rhythm and attention to detail that ticks like a clock. That's not to say that it's necessarily overly dry and hard to connect to, this biopic of the extraordinary and tragic mathematician and inventor of the digital computer, Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is emotionally engaging and utterly endearing. With a slick exquisite script and an eclectic ensemble strong enough to deliver, it's an accessible film that although may feel familiar, is thoroughly refreshing, bringing laughter, tears and thrills. It will undeniably be a huge contender at the big awards this season, perhaps going all the way.
Director Morten Tyldum's film follows Turing's journey to break the Enigma Code, the form in which the Germans communicated during WWII to conduct surprise attacks. He attempts it by building the first computer, a passion project of his that was frequently criticized for devoting so much Government time and money. He deals with a social ineptitude while also accepting his own homosexuality, which lead to unforgivable persecution and depression that caused Turing to take his own life. The film focuses on his life achievements rather than his demise, though it does explore that part of his life, if not illustrate it as much as it could have done.
It's easy to root for Turing, even if his arrogance and standoffishness repel the other characters. Benedict Cumberbatch is a real crowd pleaser here. I've only seen him in short supporting roles such as last year's August: Osage County and 12 Years A Slave and I'm certainly quite impressed, if not quite as astounded. There's a very rehearsed quality about his performance, similar to Anne Hathaway's Oscar winning turn in Les Miserables. Every stutter and nuance feels perfectly placed rather than organic. But this isn't necessarily a turn off, it fits the tone of the film. He could go all the way to the Oscar but it depends on buzz and the competition.
The highlight of the film is the writing by Graham Moore, adapted from Andrew Hodges novel 'Alan Turing: The Enigma.' It's not groundbreaking, but it has the right ingredients and the perfect recipe. Even if somehow it's the only film's nomination, it's still a frontrunner for the win in Adapted Screenplay. This will be a film known for 'ticking boxes,' but it does it in a way that all films should. It's economical without ever feeling like it's rushing or only scratching the surface. It constantly pummels the characters with adversity, presenting heart-wrenching moral dilemmas, particularly for Keira Knightley's Joan Clarke. It turns something complicated and bleak quite lighthearted, especially with the casual approach to war outside of moments of justified despair.
Knightley will certainly get awards attention for her fine supporting role as Turing's counterpart. Her role may not be as meaty, lacking the highs and lows Cumberbatch has, but she makes the most of her relative sparing use, becoming the heart of the film. Thanks to her, their relationship is completely believable, given that Turing is a man who struggles with connecting to people, and the way she manages the choices her character is set upon is dealt with deft conviction. Charles Dance, Mark Strong and especially Matthew Goode are commanding side presences who bolster the film's charm. The titular 'imitation game' is essentially the Replicant test from Blade Runner, something Turing has practiced on himself. However, all the characters are human here, if with a confidence you only find in the movies.
Instead of a linear structure, the film chooses flashbacks to flesh out the full story of Turing. It does seem a little extraneous to go back to school with him, but fortunately the focus of their objectives and the performances of the young actors make them worthwhile, as well as showing the origin of something that changed the world as we know it. The scale is further expanded with newsreel footage and scenes of the world at war, even if the special effects are relatively primitive compared to what can be achieved these days though that doesn't hold the film back as such. It's very easy to get suckered into films that convince you that you're watching one man change the world and The Imitation Game achieves that effortlessly.
Although it's dense in character and plot, The Imitation Game flashes more on the surface than it has to offer beneath. Kinetic energy in the editing brings an instant gratification, especially in the edge of your seat sequences. There are liberties with the tone for such a somber event and protagonist that most likely doesn't reflect the honest emotions involved, but obviously it's easier to digest for audience. I was unsure at first, but then it had me under its spell. This also may be Alexandre Desplat's best bet at finally winning an Oscar. It adds to that whimsical cinematic tone, almost reminiscent on his work on Harry Potter sans the magic. It will certainly be warmly embraced in the mainstream. The film is poignant, but not powerful. Entertaining, but not enlightening.
I'm content calling this the Best Picture frontrunner until further notice. The film feels like a combination of Argo, with the secrets and the camaraderie of the unit, and The King's Speech, with its Britishness and charming partnerships. It depends whether the Academy fall for the ambition of Christopher Nolan's Interstellar or the Chariots of Fire + The Bridge on the River Kwai formula of Angelina Jolie's Unbroken. Either way, The Imitation Game will belong amongst the most deserving winners, but the test of time remains to be seen. It's not like it'll be alone in that group. Nevertheless, with Queen Elizabeth II's pardon for Turing last year, there's never been a better time to educate the masses on his legacy that we use everyday.
8/10
edit: guess it isn't. Oh well. Boyhood and Birdman are better anyway.
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There is something appropriately mechanical about The Imitation Game. It has a theatrical rhythm and attention to detail that ticks like a clock. That's not to say that it's necessarily overly dry and hard to connect to, this biopic of the extraordinary and tragic mathematician and inventor of the digital computer, Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is emotionally engaging and utterly endearing. With a slick exquisite script and an eclectic ensemble strong enough to deliver, it's an accessible film that although may feel familiar, is thoroughly refreshing, bringing laughter, tears and thrills. It will undeniably be a huge contender at the big awards this season, perhaps going all the way.
Director Morten Tyldum's film follows Turing's journey to break the Enigma Code, the form in which the Germans communicated during WWII to conduct surprise attacks. He attempts it by building the first computer, a passion project of his that was frequently criticized for devoting so much Government time and money. He deals with a social ineptitude while also accepting his own homosexuality, which lead to unforgivable persecution and depression that caused Turing to take his own life. The film focuses on his life achievements rather than his demise, though it does explore that part of his life, if not illustrate it as much as it could have done.
It's easy to root for Turing, even if his arrogance and standoffishness repel the other characters. Benedict Cumberbatch is a real crowd pleaser here. I've only seen him in short supporting roles such as last year's August: Osage County and 12 Years A Slave and I'm certainly quite impressed, if not quite as astounded. There's a very rehearsed quality about his performance, similar to Anne Hathaway's Oscar winning turn in Les Miserables. Every stutter and nuance feels perfectly placed rather than organic. But this isn't necessarily a turn off, it fits the tone of the film. He could go all the way to the Oscar but it depends on buzz and the competition.
The highlight of the film is the writing by Graham Moore, adapted from Andrew Hodges novel 'Alan Turing: The Enigma.' It's not groundbreaking, but it has the right ingredients and the perfect recipe. Even if somehow it's the only film's nomination, it's still a frontrunner for the win in Adapted Screenplay. This will be a film known for 'ticking boxes,' but it does it in a way that all films should. It's economical without ever feeling like it's rushing or only scratching the surface. It constantly pummels the characters with adversity, presenting heart-wrenching moral dilemmas, particularly for Keira Knightley's Joan Clarke. It turns something complicated and bleak quite lighthearted, especially with the casual approach to war outside of moments of justified despair.
Knightley will certainly get awards attention for her fine supporting role as Turing's counterpart. Her role may not be as meaty, lacking the highs and lows Cumberbatch has, but she makes the most of her relative sparing use, becoming the heart of the film. Thanks to her, their relationship is completely believable, given that Turing is a man who struggles with connecting to people, and the way she manages the choices her character is set upon is dealt with deft conviction. Charles Dance, Mark Strong and especially Matthew Goode are commanding side presences who bolster the film's charm. The titular 'imitation game' is essentially the Replicant test from Blade Runner, something Turing has practiced on himself. However, all the characters are human here, if with a confidence you only find in the movies.
Instead of a linear structure, the film chooses flashbacks to flesh out the full story of Turing. It does seem a little extraneous to go back to school with him, but fortunately the focus of their objectives and the performances of the young actors make them worthwhile, as well as showing the origin of something that changed the world as we know it. The scale is further expanded with newsreel footage and scenes of the world at war, even if the special effects are relatively primitive compared to what can be achieved these days though that doesn't hold the film back as such. It's very easy to get suckered into films that convince you that you're watching one man change the world and The Imitation Game achieves that effortlessly.
Although it's dense in character and plot, The Imitation Game flashes more on the surface than it has to offer beneath. Kinetic energy in the editing brings an instant gratification, especially in the edge of your seat sequences. There are liberties with the tone for such a somber event and protagonist that most likely doesn't reflect the honest emotions involved, but obviously it's easier to digest for audience. I was unsure at first, but then it had me under its spell. This also may be Alexandre Desplat's best bet at finally winning an Oscar. It adds to that whimsical cinematic tone, almost reminiscent on his work on Harry Potter sans the magic. It will certainly be warmly embraced in the mainstream. The film is poignant, but not powerful. Entertaining, but not enlightening.
I'm content calling this the Best Picture frontrunner until further notice. The film feels like a combination of Argo, with the secrets and the camaraderie of the unit, and The King's Speech, with its Britishness and charming partnerships. It depends whether the Academy fall for the ambition of Christopher Nolan's Interstellar or the Chariots of Fire + The Bridge on the River Kwai formula of Angelina Jolie's Unbroken. Either way, The Imitation Game will belong amongst the most deserving winners, but the test of time remains to be seen. It's not like it'll be alone in that group. Nevertheless, with Queen Elizabeth II's pardon for Turing last year, there's never been a better time to educate the masses on his legacy that we use everyday.
8/10
edit: guess it isn't. Oh well. Boyhood and Birdman are better anyway.