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Reviews
Decoding Nazi Secrets (1999)
Excellent docu-drama about breaking the Enigma codes
Following the well-researched and popular book "Station X - Decoding Nazi Secrets" by Micheal Smith 1999, this film explains the historical circumstances and code-breaking methods that took place at Bletchley Park (BP) during WWII. Mixing historical clips, dramatic recreations and first-person interviews makes the production lively and exciting as the viewer is taken through the up and downs that challenged the group over the course of the war.
For the 5,000 men and women who worked there during WWII, the "Ultra" Most Secret designation served this organization too well - even after it was declassified in the 1970's. Few have known or understood that its heroic and remarkable accomplishments were the most important in the whole war for the Allied powers and a primary reason for victory over Hitler and his Axis.
Breaking the Code (1996)
The code being broken is "Social", not Enigma
Somewhat misleading if you want to learn about the history of super-secret Bletchley Park (BP) and breaking the German's "Enigma" codes during WWII. This film flits back and forth between pre and post-war scene's describing some of Alan Turings involvement at BP, but really focuses on the post WWII era leading to Turing's suicide. The "codes" being broken in this story are social.
Turing's eccentricity and sexuality remain overlooked while he is vital to the war effort, but become the reason for mistrust, suspicion and even betrayal after-wards. Despite being a brilliant mathematician in a quest for beauty of mathematical truth in the Enigma codes, he is ultimately undone and outed by his own naivety.
This film is also an homage to the unique style of Harold Pinter's intense personal dialogue's. Pinter himself appears as the mysterious yet vague intelligence "handler" who confronts Turing after he becomes a security concern. These scenes are Turing's "soliloquy" to the question of what drives his loyalty to truth and in his mind, to England. As he comes to understand their distrust, his words resonate with an anti-MacCarthyan rhythm and represent the stark psychological volte-face from pre-WarII naivety to Cold War paranoia.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
"Sense and Sensibility" meets "Soccer for (Indian) girls"
Originally I rented this film for my daughter since she is keen on soccer - and I was not disappointed that way (except the plot interfered with the soccer scenes). As a dad I suppose I was a little surprised at the introduction of the topic of lesbianism - but I have to admit that as a parent these issues are completely available to children nowadays (as uncomfortable as I feel with the topic). In a way this emotion was a segue right into the main premise of the film - that at some age you must trust your children to make their own choices. This dilemma is introduced by a young British-born teen girl - Jasminder (Jess) - of east-Indian heritage who dreams of playing professional soccer. The pending marriage of her older sister in a traditional Hindu marriage provides many rich opportunities for her to explore (in a nice way) her hopes and fears for her future.
The multi-cultural challenge was a very interesting technique to explore Jess's frustration with her parents expectations for her - again no different in substance than most child-parent relationships.
In SUMMARY, the soccer scenes are GREAT (lots to learn in slowmo) and while I didn't need the storyline - something was needed to keep the movie going.