This movie had a one-liner reputation as a "gay movie," and though it did tackle that crucial part of Alan Turing's life, that description did not do it justice. This movie is so much more.
This is a movie about the loneliness of genius, the healing salve of friendship, and man's drive to achieve greatness regardless of the sacrifice it requires.
Ang Kuwento:
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
I dare not add anything to that summary written by Studio Canal because I want you, my dear reader, to experience this film firsthand.
Ang Maganda:
The actors. I wasn't surprised to hear that the cast was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Ensemble Cast. They didn't just have the talented Benedict Cumberbatch/Sherlock (as Alan Turing). They also had the likes of Keira Knightley/Elizabeth Bennet (as Joan Clarke), Matthew Goode/Ozymandias (as Hugh Alexander), Charles Dance/Tywin Lannister (as Commander Denniston), and Mark Strong (as Stewart Menzies). Their chemistry as a cast was palpable. Truly, all of these brilliant actors gave their all to make this film as emotionally captivating as possible.
The tasteful writing. Alan Turing's sexuality, his struggles with it, and what he had to suffer because of it, was media gold. In this day and age, writers gravitate toward this material and enjoy turning it into ticket sales. Take a look at 50 Shades of Grey. I doubt if they would consider sacrificing the controversial scenes to make way for character development. The screenplay writer, Graham Moore, did not indulge the unlearned audience's tasteless interest in sex scenes. By expressing Alan's homosexuality as a part of his character instead of its very definition, it was easier for the audience to focus on his work, his plight, and the cruelty of what he went through.
The cinematography and art direction. The colors used in this film were perfect and everything from what they wore to the props they used just added to the experience. Yes, I still would have been interested in this film if they opted to go for gray/black tones which was an easy choice for such a dramatic movie, but they were bold enough to use warmer tones like orange or red to draw the audience in. This also gave the colder tones on some of the last scenes more impact.
Ang Pangit:
I really can't think of anything right now. It was just a really beautiful film.
Ang Paghuhusga:
This movie made me cry. They did a great job in turning Alan Turing into a three-dimensional character. A story like this could easily be turned into another "gay movie" that catered to Sherlock-Watson shippers, but they chose to turn it into a story of humanity and man's varying definitions of it.
Rating:
This is truly Oscar-worthy!