I’m a sucker for a tragic genius period film with an Oscar-worthy lead, and it’s a good thing, because there seems to be a proliferation of them lately. But the abundance in the genre takes nothing away from The Imitation Game’s dramatization of the life of the brilliant Alan Turing, whose efforts and intellect played a huge role in the Allies’ World War II victory, and who could well be considered the father of the computer.

Although I’m not the biggest Benedict Cumberbatch fan (don’t shoot me), I can’t dispute the fact that he does a phenomenal job of playing a man who would likely be diagnosed today with Aspergers today, as he struggles to deal with colleagues, his own massive intellect, and the British government’s issues with homosexuality. Not to be overlooked is Keira Knightley’s performance as Turing’s gifted colleague Joan Clarke, who dealt with her own issues of gender discrimination. Matthew Goode (The Good Wife) and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) as fellow codebreakers, are also fascinating to watch.

Norwegian director Morten Tyldum, Oscar nominated for the amazing Headhunters (even if you hate foreign films you need to see this one) adequately, if not originally, directs, bringing as much as he can to the at times banal script by Andrew Hodges and Graham Moore. But not to worry. The story itself is so captivating, a lack of wild imagination can easily be forgiven. The riveting score by Alexander Desplat and the lush production design by Maria Djurkovic and rich cinematography by Oscar Faura also contribute to the film’s quality. Although I haven’t seen everything yet, I’m quite sure The Imitation Game will end up on my top ten list. Like The Theory of Everything, it’s a beautiful, cerebral film that will make you think, feel, learn and enjoy.

PG 13

1 Hour 54 Minutes

http://youtu.be/S5CjKEFb-sM