The Imitation Game (2014)

Stars	User	Rating
15	nilooravaei	73 _22%
there was not a sliver of innovation or authenticity anywhere in this film. yes, the actors were good, yes the cinematographer was skilled at making shots, yes the dialogue was punchy and witty at times, but there was nothing being said or felt. it went the most banal, "hollywood" route, right down to the overbearing music that beats you over the head with the "emotionality" of the scene. the imitation game is, alas, an imitation of tropes played out too often in the past. in a word, stale.
7	Paxton	65 _46%
I spent the two hour runtime imitating someone interested. The scenes of bombers and tanks randomly thrown in are jarring in comparison to what could've for all intents and purposes been a chamber drama. There isn't much visual stimulation at play aside from trying desperately to decipher what exactly is wrong with Benedict Cumberbatch's face, and then once you've given up on that, why it doesn't really matter anyways. He's like a handsome Willem Dafoe or an ugly Tilda Swinton. I think.
5	mwgerb	58 _61%
The true story of Alan Turing is naturally moving, and that transfers to this film, but it makes the Hollywood approach pale in comparison. An undeniably well-made film with a bravura performance by Cumberbatch that sadly felt the need to add overdramatic, ahistoric interpolations and to set an outstanding example of what it means to be Oscar bait.
4	juntakinte99	67 _31%
A fine (if somewhat conservative, old-fashioned & restrained) biopic on someone of great historic & cultural importance. The film has "Oscar bait" written all over it. Cumberbatch's performance is worth recognition--it is sort of a greatest hits of the introverted, genius, & repressed characters he's played in the last 5 years or so. He alone makes the movie more human and less phony. The story could be seen as empowering & timely for many identity politics issues of today.
4	BillyShears	70 _53%
That was okay, then suddenly we get some lame Hollywood Important message ending and a lil icing on the cake "Alan Turing killed himself so dead at 41" and I snort laughed like an asshole.
3	Luna6ix	72 _40%
A relatively enjoyable historical movie, but the drama here concerns itself with a gay genius living in 40's England, basically making it so no one in any audience can relate to him--especially when he turns down Keira Knightley, I have to imagine that even if I was gay, I wouldn't do that. It's nice to see a wartime movie dealing with homefront innovations, but I'd have been much more satisfied if it leaned toward the technical side of things, rather than the dramatic, weird, I know.
3	lisa-	2 _11%
WHY CAN'T WOMEN DO MATHS I HAVE GAY ASPERGERS AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENNNSSSSSE WE NEED HER BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE FAIL TO BREAK THE CODE ONE BEAUTIFUL BRITISH BABY WILL BE PERSONALLY MURDERED BY HITLERERRRR. i'm sick to fucking death of these academy award nominated safe-as-houses biopics that simultaneously downplay the protagonist's personal struggles - turing with homosexuality - and patriotically relay their greatest achievements. hooray for the british military state! gag
3	joseywales	76 _76%
I would have rated this higher had it ended when it should have ended. But then it didn't! Then it didn't end again. Then it didn't end AGAIN! Good thing Keira Knightley showed up to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING though!
3	jodamico	66 _21%
It's well acted and all but it's just so comfortably stale and unexamined. A movie like this is like a beanbag chair, it's comfortable and familiar but it destroys your spine. This was a man's LIFE, it shouldn't feel so familiar.
3	jenner1407	80 _49%
Cumberbatch is unsurprisingly brilliant, playing (yet another) socially awkward genius, with flashes of softness, compassion, and heartbreak not allowed for in Sherlock. Knightley also shines, bringing some much-needed charm, even a bit of camp, to the role. Disappointingly, this crowd-pleaser gives short-shrift to Turing's tragic postwar existence. It also strangely shies away from the very thing that that made Turing a social pariah under Britain's punishing and unforgivable anti-gay laws.
3	sproost	20 _4%
Cumberbatch's homosexuality is very, academy-award-conveniently, vaguely implied within a sitcom warmovie christian environment. Knightley is only there for the emotional twist and seems in no way a capable scientist (ironic, since this movie is said to be about deviants in their time rising above the crowd), nor does ANYONE else seem to have a reason to be in this movie. Awful script. I was left giggling when those 6 scientists were actually strategizing oceanic WW2 warfare. Really????
2	GordonBombay	70 _46%
It's not a bad movie, it's just meh... This movie literally has a gay scientist inventing a computer to fight Nazis, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and based on a real story... This movie shouldn't be meh. It ought to be awesome. So it's not a bad movie, but with the actors and the screenplay it should have been so much more.
2	Tjekhov	70 _69%
Try saying benedict cum-ber-batch and not feel awesome. Impossible.
2	bakcheia	60 _46%
Well-acted Oscar-bait snooze-fest hyphen-hyphen-hyphen-Kiera-Knightley-hyphen
2	Ocelot	55 _45%
Very good screenplay, pretty uninspired direction. Good lead performance, throwaway supporting ones. The story of a massively important man told by a blatantly unimportant one. The attention to detail is pretty impressive. I liked it, but it was incredibly stupid that the final scene was this hokey inspirational life affirming speech, and immediately cuts to the post-script which says "Alan Turing killed himself the next year." Oh, and Mark Strong apparently only had one suit.
2	Hadleyreis	77 _68%
It's been done before
2	terrymac	75 _72%
An interesting and well-made film that perhaps doesn't really tackle either of its two central stories (Alan vs Enigma and Alan: A Boy's Life) with enough thoroughness or verve to make it a real classic. It's all nicely put together, with a very good cast, and Cumberbatch does some truly excellent work, but it comes across as merely worthy rather than the exceptional film it perhaps could have been. Engaging and nicely-crafted, definitely worth a look..
2	Moribunny	10 _5%
This has absolutely zero connection to historical and biographical fact. Among other fanciful fibs, we're supposed to believe it took the UK's greatest decryption experts years and years to accidentally come by the first solution anyone with half a brain would think of. And that's not the least of how bad this preachy, tacky Oscar bait really is.
2	natebarrios	50 _17%
boy that Turing guy sure has a beautiful mind...
2	frederic_g54	7 _57%
Pfff, the Weinsteins might as well just buy an Oscar while they're at it.
2	hellsditch	79 _56%
One of those films where you know the performances are strong, the set design and visual aesthetic seem right, and the subject is interesting without having been overexposed. But ultimately, it feels less than the sum of its parts. Although there are plenty of hints at the turn the story takes in the final 1/3, its transition to bio pic was still jarring. The thrill was in cracking the code for me, and ultimately it's treated almost like an afterthought. Still, it's a story that needs telling.
2	twincinema	55 _30%
A conventional biopic of an important story/man. The film dulls the edges, turns Turing into Sheldon Cooper, and presents the story simplistically. There are some good performances, but it all feels bland, which is disappointing.
2	chadisdanger	78 _53%
My biggest problem with this is how easily digestible it is; it's clearly been modulated to be as Oscar-friendly as possible, which is sad because I think this could be a smarter and much more nuanced piece of work. That being said, it's a cracking thriller and a moving biopic about a very interesting man. Cumberbatch finally gets his breakthrough leading man role and he makes the best of the opportunity with some precise and charismatic work.
2	INDYATMN	78 _50%
It's unfortunate that it's so difficult to make legitimate mental brilliance cinematically interesting, particularly when it's contained in the body of a man who was most likely an unassuming by-the-book type. Turin - whose unequivocal genius saved countless lives - deserves to have scores of films made in tribute, but in order to make things engrossing enough, there r scenes here -true or not - that often FEEL contrived or implausible. It's a great effort but u feel he deserves better
2	KasperL	60 _50%
Short for 'The Needlessly Conventional Biopic Imitation Game (Or, How Christopher Broke the Oscars)'? As solid as it is numbingly mechanical, this doesn't get the most out of its truly amazing real life story.
1	Corbad	60 _32%
Bit off more than it could chew. Too many messages only lightly (and clumsily) delivered. Focus spread too thin. Not enough weight given to characters. Hm, but still impressive in some respects. Just not nearly as impressive as it insisted it was at every opportunity.
1	Leonardis	94 _81%
I thought this movie was for sure one of the greatest films of 2014. The role of Alan Turning had Benedict Cumberbatch written all over it so of course he pulled it off like a boss. The Imitation Game perfectly nails it's time setting with it's directing and pretty cinema, and it's well acted from pretty much everybody and the story is just so solid! I loved this movie and almost everything about it. Definitely worth watching.
1	ratedargh	60 _30%
A fine watch but arm's length to a fault. The structure of its time periods is superfluous. The only truly engaging elements are during World War 2. Could the other parts have worked? Probably, but here they feel tacked on. I find Knightley better than she's normally given credit for, too. And while I can't begrudge the idea of how repugnant the treatment of homosexuals was by Britain, that part of Turing didn't seem like it was appropriately developed. It probably needed to be longer.
1	Mofaz	6 _33%
Alright is a good word. Good performance from Benedict, presence and fun to watch, the film is very predictable and has some trite scenes. Oversimplification in some scenes made characters seem dim for supposed geniuses. Editing and pacing was great. Some performances and conflicts were ineffective and lacked intensity. Fairly inaccurate portrayal, but it is a dramatization and does an adequate job of revealing one of history's greatest men. Worth seeing on a lazy afternoon.
1	myfavchords	75 _47%
This is an interesting film that is based on true events. The script is good and the film is well cast. Benedict Cumberbatch is great in the lead role. This movie would not work without the performance by Cumberbatch. Overall I would recommend this film.
1	philamental	85 _90%
Can't really add to what others have already said, this is an example of Oscar-Bait done right and tells the tale of one of the most important figures of the twentieth century whose story remained hidden from the public for 50 years. Cumberbatch is brilliant here.
1	comepelicula	40 _23%
I really liked that they did a movie based on Alan Turing life and Benedict is doing some really great performances, but this movie felt like paint by numbers for the Oscars, I think it lacked soul on the story telling and on the filmmaking. It is a correct execution, but I didn't got drawn to it.
1	guvolefou	53 _15%
"Oscar mı alacaksan ne yapacaksan git biraz ötede yap." demek için 15 dakika filmi izlemek yetiyor. 2 sene sonra esamesi okunmayacak, tamamen oscar formülasyonu üzerine kurulu bir çıtır çerez. Cumberbatch'ın fiziksel "ilginç"liği hariç, ciddi bir oyunculuk performansı sergilediğini de düşünmüyorum.
1	kalichan88	73 _55%
I had a high expectation, and I think it was a good movie, but it didn't surprise or grab me enough to feel strong about this movie. Cumberbatch did an amazing performance, and other actors were great, too. It tell you what 'secret' does it to one's life.
1	eritsuku	89 _73%
Happy to see Turing get some much deserved (albeit late) attention in the mainstream. Good performances all around. A good, if overly Hollywoodized, script. Had the makings of 'fantastic', but stayed in the realm of 'pretty good.'
1	jthusky	75 _68%
A perfectly serviceable biopic that's full of Cumberbatch's finest Acting (as opposed to just normal acting). Perfectly fine and well-done, didn't exactly reinvent the wheel.
1	overrated	41 _34%
These Oscar-angling British films feel formulaic; preferably set around the world wars, tortured soul proves everyone wrong, and goodness weren't social norms back then super regressive even though it's our idealized golden age? I'm surprised neither Judi Dench or Maggie Smith showed up to make some sick burns. Anyway the story of Turing needs to be told and Cumberbatch does give a good performance (though leaning heavily on the Asperger's tropes), but it's just so predictable and uninspired.
1	Superargo	54 _35%
Turing's story is definitely one that deserves a respectable, big-screen telling, and this film is admirable, I guess...but it's also a drab, tweedy-brown snooze. Stuffy, stiff, TV-movie-ish and, at its worst, kind of heavy-handed. The kind of biopic that piques just enough interest to send you in search of the actual bio.
1	Stradivarius	73 _45%
I can't stand when movies feel like they have to tell you why you should feel what just happened was significant in little text blurbs at the end. If its necessary, they they did a poor job of film making
1	Kavu	77 _61%
Disappointingly formulaic amidst some great writing and a superb performance by Cumberbatch.
1	nutcrackr	70 _37%
Story is fairly true but there is a lot of artistic license. Characters, emotional scenes and even Turing's personality have been changed to fit an agenda. Doesn't make it bad, just disappointing. Movie was decent enough.
1	coffee	85 _85%
The most important part of the movie is how a genius and hero was treated just because of his sexual preferences. The decrypting of Enigma part was really not that unseen before. We saw many impossible missions overcome by heros of Hollywood before. But maybe none of them were screwed like Turing. Also I really appreciated how they dealt with this part without trying to make a tearjerker.
1	Ross	85 _88%
I loved this. Yes, it is very conventional and follows every biopic rule. But the story is absolutely amazing and Cumberbatch is once again great.
1	Gursu	6 _65%
Decent, but nothing to write home about. A few small chuckles, a few mild laughs. Cinema-wise very ordinary. Cumberbatch is really good though. The dramatization of true events feels a bit TV-movieish, and the attempt at inventing theme-establishing metaphors based on computer science and on the personal histories of the characters a bit too formulaic. Any decent screenwriter could have written this film, which in the end it is: decent, but nothing to write home about.
1	bharath	70 _57%
The trend when making a biopic is normally to glamorize it. In this case there is not such attempt to glamorize it. The acting by Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as usual. The movie is pretty much a one man show. The script however feels lacking. Considering how important Turing has been to modern day computer I feel the movie didnt do justice.
1	chemical404	39 _23%
Not as bad as The Theory of Everything, but these oscar-bait biopics are getting seriously boring.
1	RealMacgyver	90 _94%
1)They should still be called Turing Machines. 2) The government should have provided a long line of blow jobs for Turing rather than a prosecution.
1	hellboy76	69 _73%
A moving story that's surprisingly effective for having little action. A good cast moves everything along nicely.
1	Launch	80 _70%
This was good but so... unspectacular. Even though it's a biopic I feel like I've seen this character before in nearly everything Benedict Cumberbatch stars in.
1	dunetails	75 _64%
It's good, 7 to 7.5/10. The problem is it's EXACTLY what you're expecting; every note,every joke,every turn. There is no surprise in it,it's a well made dramatised historical retelling. I think I just prefer documentaries.
1	Gideon	2 _59%
This story deserved the very best script and director. Someone like Spielberg could have paid a fitting tribute to the late and great Alan Turing. This story needed to be 150 minutes or so long and a stronger focus on either the thriller or portrait side. At times TIG doesn't really know what it wants to do, so it sort of gets stuck in the middle, leaving me underwhelmed. Cumberbatch nails the part, that is for sure. There is little soul in this film, like a TV film almost. Missed chance...
1	forehead1	70 _87%
I have no idea what Alan Turing acted or sounded like, but I do know I was completely invested in Cumberbatch's performance throughout. You feel like you're watching a real person, not an actor playing a character, and the story of his life is one that needs to be told. There's no denying the important details of the achievement do get passed over somewhat, but I suppose that's the sacrifice for concentrating on the man himself. Certainly better than Enigma.
1	VinegarBob	60 _35%
Movie by numbers. Ticks all the boxes it should for the targeted demographic. Knightley and Strong are very good. Cumberbatch is excellent. It should go without saying though that if you're genuinely interested in Turing's life and achievements this is not the place to be.
1	redacted	70 _47%
Origin film for 'Her', except with a gay differentiator.
1	Wezzo	88 _74%
An unexpectedly captivating film. I'd headed in expecting dry Oscar bait, but this is a warm, witty and often thrilling pleasure. The cast are magnificent, but what really impresses is the compelling screenplay, the way it gets everything right when it all could have gone so very, mind-numbingly wrong. Completely deserving of awards attention.
1	bratings	91 _82%
The Imitation Game is a remarkable film, highlighted by both Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as Alan Turing as well as Morten Tyldum's deft direction.

Average Percentile 57.49% from 5895 Ratings