'The Imitation Game' tells the story of 'unsung hero' Alan Turing
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Alan Turing, who worked as a codebreaker during World War II and is often cited as the founder of computer science.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Alan Turing, who worked as a codebreaker during World War II and is often cited as the founder of computer science.
With his many appearances on the big screen and on TV within the past year, you may feel like actor Benedict Cumberbatch is everywhere. His next appearance is in the film 鈥淭he Imitation Game,鈥� which hits theaters today and which is already earning Cumberbatch Best Actor buzz in the Oscar race.
In 鈥淕ame,鈥� Cumberbatch portrays Alan Turing, who is often considered the founder of the field of computer science. He worked during World War II to crack German codes and, according to the BBC, Winston Churchill said Turing made the largest contribution to the victory of the Allied forces.
The film also co-stars Keira Knightley of 鈥淟aggies,鈥� 鈥淒ownton Abbey鈥� actor Allen Leech, and Matthew Goode of 鈥淭he Good Wife鈥� as people who worked with Turing during the war as well as 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� actor Charles Dance and Mark Strong of 鈥淏efore I Go to Sleep鈥� as members of the military overseeing the work of Turing鈥檚 group.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of those big unsung heroes in history and I feel very grateful to be allowed to tell his story,鈥� Norwegian聽director Morten Tyldum said of Turing in an interview with the Evening Standard.
Some reviewers from film festival screenings have tipped Cumberbatch鈥檚 performance as potentially award winning. Variety critic Scott Foundas writes that the movie 鈥渓ooks and feels like another awards-season thoroughbred鈥� and Associated Press reporter Jake Coyle calling Cumberbatch鈥檚 performance, along with Eddie Redmayne鈥檚 in the Stephen Hawking biopic 鈥淭he Theory of Everything,鈥� 鈥渁lready calculated by pundits to be favorites for a best-actor Oscar nomination.鈥�
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Cumberbatch discussed what he says is the importance of depicting Turing鈥檚 treatment for being gay. (Turing was prosecuted after he said he had had a homosexual relationship and is believed to have killed himself in 1954.)聽
鈥淚t's not an isolated moment in history," Cumberbatch said. "It's a lesson and a warning that our prejudices can still rise and destroy those who are fragile, different and can make an incredible difference in our lives. We differentiate between what's us and what's them at our own peril 鈥� orientation, religion, creed.鈥�