Mimicry is a sign of flattery

The Imitation Game, directed by Morten Tyldum, tells the true story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) in a race against time. Turing and his team of codebreakers work at Britains top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Alan Turing’s ability of problem solving and mathematics lead him to build a machine that helps break the German’s previously unbreakable Enigma codes. Chess champion Hugh Alexander was made the leader of the code breaking unit that Turing worked on, but Turing persuades Winston Churchill to promote him.

After his success in the war, during the 1950’s, he is condemned for gross indecency, a euphemism for having a homosexual relationship. This causes his life to spiral out of control. One thing I liked about the main character was his inability to pick up on social cues, and how those around him took some effort to allow him to learn and understand them. I found it relatable to some degree.

One scene that really resonated with me was when a woman showed up to a shop solving crossword puzzles that Turing was overseeing and she was mistaken as a secretary. Turing allowed her to stay and she finished a puzzle,beating Alan Turing’s time of six minutes. She had more than proven herself useful and capable in a sexist environment. The film made over $475 thousand dollars opening night and $233.6 million dollars in the box office, according to Wikipedia. You can find it at the local library, on Hulu, through RedBox, or online through most of the popular websites.