The Imitation Game (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)

book
good read

Enjoyed
Good project, enjoyed

I wish director Morten Tyldum would have gone into more detail on Alan’s background to help draw the viewer in even more and get
Three years after being released “The Imitation Game” still delivers with a stellar cast and a compelling story. The movie follows the true story of Alan Turing, a cryptanalyst for the British Army and his race to beat the Nazi’s encryption system, “Enigma”, at the height of World War II. Although this venue for film has been done time and time again, this movie takes a new approach to it which keeps the movie feeling fresh. The race against the clock creates a movie full of tension and stress which is shown by the all British cast with riveting dialogue. Benedict Cumberbatch is the star of the show, playing Alan Turing. The actor’s wit and talent shine through in this film and make it seem as if he was born to play this role. Whether it’s highlighting Alan’s awkward social life, or nailing Alan’s speech impediment, Cumberbatch is spot on throughout the film. With his smarts, he’s able to truly captivate you through the screen and make you feel as if you’re the one who must break the encryption system. But Cumberbatch is not alone in this journey. With supporting actors, such as: Keira Knightley, Matthew William Goode, Mark Strong and Allen Leech, this team of top secret British geniuses work together and feed off each other during the film. Keira Knightley who stars as Joan Clarke, the only female on the team to break Enigma, is flawless in her role as Alan’s friend and colleague. The movie stays true to the real-life friendship between Joan and Alan as they go through the process of breaking Enigma together. The scenes with Joan and Alan highlight how a socially awkward genius can and does connect with Joan throughout his life and is a true friend of his in a world that is just not accepting of the way Alan is. Along with the actors, the plot is something to be commended as well. While director Morten Tyldum could have given the viewer every piece of the plot from the get-go, he instead holds pieces of the plot back to intrigue the viewer’s mind. By using this approach, the viewer is invited to get creative with where they feel the plot is leading them. With the guidance from Tyldum’s directing and the creativity of the viewer’s mind, the viewer is lead down a path which ultimately reveals the heartwarming yet heart wrenching climax of the film. Where the film succeeds with Alan’s professional life, it fails in his private life. Although we see in a few instances into his private life, I wish director Morten Tyldum would have gone into more detail on Alan’s background to help draw the viewer in even more and get a better picture of Alan outside of his encryption cracking life. The movie could have also gone into more detail about the team that Alan is forced to work. Besides Alan and Joan, the rest of the team seems one dimensional and the viewer is never fully drawn in emotionally to the rest of the cast. Although the movie is not without its faults, these cons are greatly downplayed by what the movie does extremely well. Overall, this is a brilliant movie with a cast that blends together well and a plot that is fresh and interesting. Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent in the role of Alan Turing and delivers every step of the way. You will be glued to the screen for the entirety of this excellent film. This is a must-see movie that will tug on your emotions like very few movies of this generation can.

Good Movie
Better than expected

Die diesjährige Oscarsaison stand auch unter dem Motto “Die klugen Köpfe Großbritanniens”. Neben dem Werdegang des Physikers und Astrophysikers Stephen Hawkins in “Die Entdeckung der Unendlichkeit”, der von James Marsh verfilmt wurde, gedachte die Filmwelt auch an den britischen Logiker, Mathematiker, Kryptoanalytiker und Informatiker Alan Mathison Turing, der heute als einer der einflussreichsten Theoretiker der frühen Computerentwicklung angesehen wird. Das von ihm entwickelte Berechenbarkeitsmodell der sogenannten Turingmaschine bildet eines der Fundamente der theoretischen Informatik. Lange wurde auch geheimgehalten, dass Turing während des 2. Weltkrieges maßgeblich an der Entzifferung der mit der Enigma verschlüsselten deutschen Funksprüche beteiligt war. Die Enigma war eine Rotor-Schlüsselmaschine, die im 2. Weltkrieg zur Verschlüsselung des Nachrichtenverkehrs des deutschen Militärs verwendet wurde. Auch andere Dienste wie Polizei, Geheimdienst, diplomatische Dienste, SS, Reichspost und Reichbahn setzten sie zur geheimen Kommunikation ein. Dank Turing gelang es den Alliierten durch die Entzifferung der deutschen Funksprüche ein entscheidender Vorteil in den Kriegsführungsstrategien in der zweiten Hälfte des 2. Weltkriegs. Man schätzt, dass durch die Entzifferung der Enigma der Krieg um ca. 2 Jahre verkürzt wurde und 14 Millionen weniger Todesopfer zu beklagen waren.Regie führte der Norweger Morten Tyldum, der bereits 2011 mit seinem dritten Film “Headhunters”, einer Romanverfilmung von Jo Nesbo nicht nur ein riesiger Kassenerfolg in der Heimat gelang, sondern auch international gefeiert wurde. “The Imitation Game” ist sein erster englischsprachiger Film, der ihm gleich eine Oscar-Nominierung als bester Regisseur einbrachte. Desweiteren konnte der spannende Film über das tragische Leben des Mathematikers 7 weitere Nominierungen erringen. In der Kategorie “Bestes adaptiertes Drehbuch” wurde die begehrte Trophäe auch gewonnen.Tyldum hat sich dafür entschieden seine Geschichte auf drei Zeitebenen zu erzählen. Diese Zeitfenster öffnen Episoden aus dem Leben von Turing. 1927 ist Alan (Alex Lawther) noch Schüler. Aufgrund seiner Andersartigkeit wird er von seinen Mitschülern immer wieder gemobbt. Er findet aber in dem gleichaltrigen Christopher Morcom (Jack Bannon) einen Freund. Sie tauschen im Mathematikunterricht verschlüsselte Botschaften aus und Alan beginnt sich in Christopher zu verlieben.Das zweite Zeitfenster beginnt 1939 mit dem Ausbruch der Kriegshandlungen zwischen Deutschland und Großbritannien. aufgrund seines Könnens und seiner Intelligenz bekommt Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) eine Stelle bei der Government Code und Cypher School in Bletchley Parik. Mit seinem Vorgesetzten Alastair Denniston (Charles Dance) kommt er zwar aufgrund seiner Arroganz und Introvertiertheit nicht immer zurecht. Auch die Kollegen Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode), John Calmcross (Allen Leech) und Peter Hilton (Matthew Beard) bleiben distanziert und sind immer mal wieder sehr irritiert über das Verhalten von Alan. Als die junge Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) ins Team kommt, ändert sich das eisige Klima der Gruppe etwas. Da Joans Eltern die junge Frau daran erinnern, dass sie sich langsam binden müsse, macht Alan Turing Joan einen Heiratsantrag, damit sie weiter am kriegswichtigen Projekt arbeiten kann. Turing entwickelt seine elektromechanische Maschine, die er “Christopher” nennt. Doch die Zeit drängt.Im Jahr 1951 wird bei Turing zuhause eingebrochen. Der Polizei gibt er an, dass nichts gestohlen wurde. Doch der ermittelnde Beamte schöpft bei dieser Aussage Verdacht. Die Vermutung steht im Raum, dass er für den russischen Geheimdienst arbeitet. Doch die Wahrheit ist viel simpler. Turing ist homosexuell und wurde von einem Stricher ausgeraubt. Diese Enthüllung führt dazu, dass er eine Anklage wegen “Unzucht und sexueller Perversion” am Hals hat. Zu dieser Zeit heißt das für ca. 2 Jahre in den Knast zu wandern. Es sei denn er lässt sich auf eine stark nebenwirkungsbehaftete Hormontherapie ein, die seinen unnatürlichen Trieb dämpfen soll. Im Abspann erfährt der Zuschauer, dass sich der geniale Mathematiker ein Jahr nach diesem Vorfall am 7. Juni 1954 das Leben nahm…Der Film von Morten Tyldum erweist sich als starkes Biopic eines genialen Wissenschaftlers, der am Ende durch die staatlich verordnete Chemische Kastration in die tiefste Depression ohne Ausweg geführt wird.Im Jahr 2009 sprach der damalige britische Premier Gordon Brown eine offizielle Entschuldigung im Namen der Regierung für diese entsetzuliche Behandlung aus und endlich wurden auch seine außergewöhnlichen Verdienste während des 2. Weltkriegs gewürdigt, Am 24. Dezember 2013 folgte eine Königliche Begnadigung durch Königin Elisabeth II.Die 3 Zeitebenen vermitteln ein interessantes Bild dieser Persönlichkeit. “Sherlock Holmes” Star Benedict Cumberbatsch überzeugt und spielt die historische Figur perfekt. Auch die Geschichte der Entzifferung erweist sich als ungeheuer spannend und wird von Tyldum als Wettlauf mit der Zeit in Szene gesetzt. Einerseits durch die deutschen Erfolge, andererseits durch die Prügel, die ihm vom Vorgesetzten in den Weg gelegt werden, muss sich Alan Turing einer fast unlösbaren Aufgabe stellen. Es gibt Milliarden von Möglichkeiten. Der deutsche Filmzusatz “Ein streng geheimes Leben” bezieht sich sowohl auf Turings Tätigkeit im Krieg als auch auf seine versteckte sexuelle Orientierung.

THE IMITATION GAME [2014 / 2015] [Blu-ray] The Best British Film of the Year! Benedict Cumberbatch Is Outstanding! Based On The Incredible True Story of Alan Turing!During the darkest days of World War II, the British government enlist the help of mathematician Alan Turing to crack Enigma, the unbreakable German encryption device. Alan Turing and his team of code breakers must unlock the Enigma Code before their operation is infiltrated and more lives are lost.An intense and gripping thriller, ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ tells the incredible true story of unsung war hero Alan Turing, featuring a standout performance from Benedict Cumberbatch [‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,’ TV’s ‘Sherlock’], alongside Keira Knightley [‘Atonement’] and a top-notch ensemble cast.FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 2015 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay for Graham Moore. Nominated: Best Motion Picture of the Year for Ido Ostrowsky, Nora Grossman and Teddy Schwarzman. Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Benedict Cumberbatch. Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Keira Knightley. Nominated: Best Achievement in Directing for Morten Tyldum. Nominated: Best Achievement in Film Editing for William Goldenberg. Nominated: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score for Alexandre Desplat. Nominated: Best Achievement in Production Design for Maria Djurkovic (production design) and Tatiana Macdonald (set decoration). 2015 Golden Globes® Awards: Nominated: Best Motion Picture for Drama. Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in a Drama for Benedict Cumberbatch. Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for Keira Knightley. Nominated: Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture for Graham Moore. Nominated: Best Original Score in a Motion Picture for Alexandre Desplat. 2015 BAFTA® Awards: Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film: Nominated: Graham Moore, Ido Ostrowsky, Morten Tyldum, Nora Grossman and Teddy Schwarzman. BAFTA Film Award: Nominated: Best Leading Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch. Nominated: Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley. Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay for Graham Moore. Nominated: Best Editing for William Goldenberg. Nominated: Best Costume Design for Sammy Sheldon. Nominated: Best Production Design for Maria Djurkovic and Tatiana Macdonald. Nominated: Best Sound for Andy Kennedy, John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Martin Jensen and Stuart Hilliker. Nominated: Best Film for Ido Ostrowsky, Nora Grossman and Teddy Schwarzman.Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, James Northcote, Tom Goodman-Hill, Steven Waddington, Ilan Goodman, Jack Tarlton, Alex Lawther, Jack Bannon, Tuppence Middleton, Dominic Charman, James G. Nunn, Charlie Manton, David Charkham, Victoria Wicks, Andrew Havill, Laurence Kennedy, Tim van Eyken, Will Bowden, Miranda Bell, Tim Steed, Winston Churchill (archive footage) (uncredited), Adolf Hitler (archive footage) (uncredited), Harry S. Truman (archive footage) (uncredited), Lee Asquith-Coe (uncredited), Lauren Beacham (uncredited), Ingrid Benussi (uncredited), Carmen Coupeau Borras (uncredited), Ancuta Breaban (uncredited), Peter Brown (uncredited), Alex Corbet Burcher (uncredited), Daniel Chapple (uncredited), Alexander Cooper (uncredited), Chris Cowlin (uncredited), Kirsty-Marie Day (uncredited), Sam Exley (uncredited), Ben Farrow (uncredited), Mike Firth (uncredited), Leigh Holland (uncredited), Luke Hope (uncredited), Stuart Matthews (uncredited), Amber-Rose May (uncredited), Joseph Oliveira (uncredited), Adam Scown (uncredited), Scott Stevenson (uncredited), Mark Underwood (uncredited), Nicola-Jayne Wells (uncredited) and Josh Wichard (uncredited)Director: Morten TyldumProducers: Graham Moore, Ido Ostrowsky, Nora Grossman, Peter Heslop and Teddy SchwarzmanScreenplay: Graham Moore and Andrew Hodges (book)Composer: Alexandre DesplatCinematography: Óscar FauraVideo Resolution: 1080p (Colour) and Black-and-White (archive footage)Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo and English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo [Audio Description]Subtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 114 minutesRegion: Region B/2Number of discs: 1Studio: The Weinstein Company / StudioCanalAndrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ [2014] is a highly conventional film about a profoundly unusual man and this is not entirely a bad thing. Alan Turing’s tragically shortened life and he was 41 when he died in 1954 and is a very complex and fascinating story, bristling with ideas and present-day implications, and it benefits from the streamlined structure and accessible presentation of modern prestige cinema. The science is not too difficult to understand, the emotions are clear and very emphatic, and the truth of history is respected just enough to make room for a very tidy and engrossing drama.An Alan Turing biopic is, all in all, a very welcome thing. Chances are that you are reading this, as I have written this, on a device that came into being partly as a result of papers that Alan Turing published in the 1930s exploring the possibility of what he called a “universal machine.” Alan Turing’s decisive contribution to the breaking of the Nazi “ENIGMA CODE” gave the Allied forces an intelligence advantage that helped defeat Germany, though the extent of his wartime role was kept secret for many years. The secret of his homosexuality was revealed when he was arrested on indecency charges in 1952, and also caught up in a Cold War climate of homophobia and political paranoia and subjected to the pseudoscientific cruelty of the British judicial system.All of this is a lot for a single film to take in, and ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ directed by Morten Tyldum from a script by Graham Moore, prunes and compresses a narrative laid out most comprehensively in Andrew Hodges’s scrupulous and enthralling 1983 biography. The film interweaves three decisive periods in Alan Turing’s life, using his interrogation by a Manchester Detective Robert Nock [Rory Kinnear] as a framing device. Alan Turing tells the investigator who thinks he is after a Soviet spy rather than a gay man is about what he did during the war. Later, there are flashbacks of Alan Turing’s school days, where he discovered the joys of cryptography and fell in love with a slightly older boy named Christopher Morcom [Jack Bannon].The adult Alan Turing is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is ny his younger self Christopher Morcom [Alex Lawther], expanding his repertoire of socially awkward intellectual prodigies, real and fictional. What has made Benedict Cumberbatch so effective and what makes his Alan Turing character personality one of the year’s finest pieces of screen acting ever seen in many a year and is his curious ability to suggest cold detachment and acute sensitivity at the same time. If Alan Turing did not exist, 21st century popular culture would have to invent him, especially Benedict Cumberbatch showing his character Alan Turing as a sentient robot, an empathetic space alien, or a warm-blooded salamander with crazy sex appeal.Benedict Cumberbatch’s Alan Turing, whom the film seems to place somewhere on the autism spectrum, is as socially awkward as he is intellectually agile. On top of all that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Alan Turing, can perceive patterns invisible to others but also finds himself stranded in the desert of the literal. Jokes fly over his head, sarcasm does not register either, and when one of his colleagues says, “We’re going to get some lunch,” Alan Turing hears a trivial statement of fact rather than a friendly invitation. But most importantly, Benedict Cumberbatch gives and Oscar® worthy performance.‘THE IMITATION GAME’ derives some easy amusement from the friction between this “odd ball” and the prevailing culture of his native country of Great Britain. The film’s notion of Britain and of course not inaccurate, but also not hugely insightful and is as a land of understatement, indirection and steadfast obedience to norms of behaviour that seem, to a fiercely logical mind like Alan Turing’s, arbitrary and incomprehensible. At Bletchley Park, the country estate where teams of linguists and mathematicians are working under military supervision to break the “ENIGMA CODE,” Alan Turing is seen as stubborn and arrogant and the head of Bletchley Park, Commander Denniston [Charles Dance], finds him totally insufferable, as does Hugh Alexander [Matthew Goode], the suave, clever playboy who runs the “ENIGMA CODE” project until Alan Turing, with an off-screen assistant from Winston Churchill, displaces Hugh Alexander.The Bletchley Park section, which is enlivened by the indispensably charming Joan Clarke [Keira Knightley] as the only woman on the ENIGMA team, who is at the heart of this film, though it is also the most familiar and in some ways the least challenging part. Director Morten Tyldum orchestrates a swift and suspenseful race against the clock with a few touches of intrigue and ethical uncertainty. Mark Strong as Stewart Menzies pops out of the shadows now as a silky, cynical MI6 spymaster, perhaps the only person in the British political establishment who fully appreciated Alan Turing’s oddity and his total genius mind.‘THE IMITATION GAME’ meanwhile, settles for a partial appreciation. Alan Turing’s sexuality is mystified and marginalized, treated as an abstraction and a plot point. There is no sense that, between his chaste, intense and brief passion for Christopher Morcom and the anonymous encounter that led indirectly to his arrest, love, sex or romance played any significant part in Alan Turing’s life at all. Andrew Hodges’s biography, threaded with quotations from Walt Whitman, gives eloquent and sensitive testimony to the contrary. For their part, the filmmakers, though willing to treat Alan Turing as a victim of bigotry and repression, also nudge him back toward the closet, imposing a discretion that is at once self-protective and self-congratulatory.Ultimately, ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ doesn’t need any kind of banal catchphrases to show us that Alan Turing is a savant who sees and feels the world differently than most other people, because it’s there in every inch of Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance, especially in the rigid way he carries himself, as if he were two sizes too big for his own body, and in his pained realisation that he can never fully decipher the code of ordinary human interaction. And Keira Knightley who’s reliably more interesting as misfits and proves every bit his equal as the brilliant Joan Clarke, another societal square peg blithely unconcerned by the era’s demeaning conception of womanly ability.Top-flight craft contributions add to the overall classy feel, particularly the lush, contrasting 35mm lensing of Spanish cinematographer Oscar Faura [‘The Impossible’], the cluttered desks and primitive computing machines of production designer Maria Djurkovic [‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’], and a piano-and-strings score by Alexandre Desplat that catches something of Alan Turing’s anxious, uneasy spirit and especially complex, impeccably executed and unique. The action ignites when, after two years of effort, Alan Turing invents his Enigma-busting machine, a proto-computer geared to break a code that the Nazis change every 24 hours. It’s been a long time since intellectual sparring partners created such excitement onscreen. I’ve heard a few critics dismiss this mind-bender as hopelessly old-hat. Balderdash, I say long live retro.Blu-ray Video Quality – With two excellent professional companies like StudioCanal and The Weinstein Company it is only natural to bring you a beautiful encoded 1080p encoded image and an equally impressive 2.35:1 aspect ratio and the transfer is totally outstanding. The picture is of a very high detailed image, black levels and shadow detail are really excellent, and an appropriate level of grain presents the viewer with a very pleasing, film-like appearance. Colours can be somewhat muted by design, but at least they are consistent and accurate throughout, especially depicting the era in the Second World War. Cinematographer by Oscar Faura works superbly well and shows off the film’s Academy Award® nominated production design to its fullest potential, which again faithfully recreates the look of World War II era in England. Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.Blu-ray Audio Quality – With two excellent professional companies like The Weinstein Company and StudioCanal it is only natural to bring you an equally impressive 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio that is a very enjoyable audio experience. Dialogue is mostly confined to the centre channel which is very clear and also very understandable throughout the film. There are a few brief scenes of war which provide some dramatic audio punch when the aircraft are in the air. Ambient sounds of rain are very realistic, and when Alan Turing’s machine is turned on the surround channels give the viewer the feeling of being present at that moment in time. The wonderful Academy Award® nominated original film score by Alexandre Desplat is given a wide and very pleasing audio soundstage experience. This is not quite a demonstration audio disc, but it does what it does extremely well, to really give you something truly special.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Special Feature: Making ‘The Imitation Game’ [2014] [1080p] [2.35:1] [14:14] Here we get an in-depth look at the characters and plot of the film, and it also includes a nice background look at the real-life Alan Turing and his work on cracking the Enigma code during World War II and also featuring the people assembled to break the Enigma machine, the process of breaking the code, the repercussions of breaking the code, the consequences of Alan Turing’s homosexuality and eventually his sad downfall. They talk about how the Enigma machine was a hidden secret long after the Second World War had finished. They all agree that Alan Turing was the hero of the hour, in being such a forward thinking genius and Benedict Cumberbatch felt Alan Turing had to stand up to himself, because of his past and of course helped to shorten the Second World War by of course inventing the “Enigma” machine. They talk about other films depicting Bletchley Park, but felt this one had to be totally different slant on the story, that gave it a much more human angle element to the film. They talk about what a wonderful script that was produced that really everyone was gripped when they read it, as normally it takes about 30 minutes reading other scripts, but this took much longer. That is why Benedict Cumberbatch was so very keen to play Alan Turing, as well as the other actors that were also very impressed by the script, as none of them could put it down. But most important they wanted the film to be as accurate historical as possible; as they know historians would soon inform them they have certain historical facts wrong, which would of cost a lot of money to film scenes again. Also very important was to get certain locations right, but one thing they could not film Bletchley Park, so they found this old RAF Bicester Bases in Oxfordshire, and luckily the surrounding buildings were ideal, but luckily they were able to film some scenes inside Bletchley Park and helped the actors to get into the spirit of the film. Because the actual “Enigma” had been dismantled, they had to create their own vision of the massive machine for the film, a sort of replica, and everyone felt it was near perfect compared to the real machine, but of course it would of not been possible without some expert help who knew about the real “Enigma” machine, which of course the replica had a fraction of the components, but despite this it actually had over 5,000 meters of electrical cables, well over 2,000 components and still felt epic in its appearance. But one thing that everyone agreed with is that they thought Benedict Cumberbatch gave a truly wonderful performance and I totally agree with that, especially in showing Alan Turing was a very complex character. But one very important aspect of the film was the clothes that Alan Turing would wear to give Benedict Cumberbatch a more authentic realistic look. So all in all this was a really fascinating look at the behind-the-scene on all aspect of the film ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ and is well worth a view. Contributors include Morten Tyldum [Director], Benedict Cumberbatch [Alan Turing], Keira Knightley [Joan Clarke], Matthew Goode [Hugh Alexander], Graham Moore [Screenwriter & Executive Producer], Ido Ostrowsky [Producer], mark Strong [Stewart Menzies], Maria Djurkovic [Production Designer], David Broder [Location Manager], Marco Restivo [Art Director], John Pickles [Bletchley Park Volunteer], Allan Leech [John Cairncross], Charles Dance [Alexander “Alastair” Guthrie Denniston CMG CBE CB RNVR], Ivana Primorac [Hair & Make-Up Designer], Sammy Sheldon [Costume Designer] and Matthew Bear [Peter Hilton].Special Feature: Alan Turing: Man and Enigma [2014] [1080p] [2.35:1] [13:51] Here we take an in-depth look at the man Alan Turing himself, and what made him such a total genius, and especially a lot of people did not know much about the life and times of Alan Turing before the film ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ was ever thought of being filmed, especially as Alan Turing only lived on this planet for just 40 years and especially for the man who invented the computer, especially in the past Americans were always stating they invented the computer, and of course Alan Turing helped shorten the Second World War by two years, because as already stated he was a total genius and was not recognised at the time for building the “Enigma” machine, but Alan Turing was also a scientist, a philosopher, and of course an inventor, but most importantly he was totally ahead of his time. But sadly in his early youth, especially being an outsider, yet born at the heart of the British Empire at its zenith and went to the Sherborne School, that was classic English public school in the town of Sherborne, Dorset, in south-west England, and in his early youth was constantly bullied because they felt he was not like them, but when Alan Turing was 16 he met a boy called Christopher Morcom, who became his one true friend and who was also very interested in science. Christopher became Alan’s best friend, and probably his first big crush. But when Christopher died, which affected Alan greatly suddenly a couple of years later, Alan partly helped deal with his grief with science, by studying whether the mind was made of matter, and where and if anywhere, the mind went when someone died and of course that is why Alan named the “Enigma” machine “Christopher” in honour of his friend. They also talk about how Alan Turing who was always pushing himself to go that little bit further to solve a difficult puzzle, but of course in pursuing this outlook caused him to become a loner and especially did not like working as a team, but of course slowly over time Alan changed, but on top of all that he also hated social function, as he felt like a fish out of water, so making him like a chameleon. But also most important was his sexuality, which at the time it was illegal to be a homosexual, but despite this Alan had a strong bonded friendship with Joan Clarke. But of course when he was chemically castrated via drugs, that reduces your libido and sexual activity it really affected him greatly and especially emotionally and caused his downward spiral to deep depression and eventually committing suicide in 1954 by dipping an apple into cyanide and eating the apple, and of course it was a total shameful act by the Government at the time in what they did to this genius and if he had been able to live like he wanted he probably would of gone onto greater strides in technology, and in 2013 Alan Turing the computer pioneer and codebreaker was been given a posthumous royal pardon, which addresses his 1952 conviction for gross indecency and again who was chemically castrated. The pardon was granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy after a request by Justice Minister Chris Grayling and endorsed by Her Majesty the Queen. The pardon came into effect on the 24th December 2013, because many people had campaigned for many years to win a pardon for Alan Turing. But of course the film was a dedication towards the genius that was Alan Turing and of course today the majority of people have taken this genius for granted, especially in our lives today computers, tablets and smart phones would not be here today or even happen without the brilliant genius mind of Alan Turing. Once again, all in all this is a really nice special feature and again honouring a man who was so ahead of his time. Contributors include Morten Tyldum [Director], Benedict Cumberbatch [Alan Turing], Graham Moore [Screenwriter & Executive Producer], Teddy Schwarzman [Producer], Dermot Turing [Nephew of Alan Turing], Allen Leech [John Cairncross], Marco Restivo [Art Director], Charles Dance [Alexander “Alastair” Guthrie Denniston CMG CBE CB RNVR], Mattew beard [Peter Hilton], Keira Knightly [Joan Clarke], Mark Strong [Stewart Menzies] and Matthew Goode [Hugh Alexander].Special Feature: The Heroes Of Bletchley [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:33] ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ cast and crew discuss Bletchley Park: what it would have been like to work in such an incredible place and its pivotal role in ending World War 2. They talk about the fact that Bletchley Park was a very secretive code breaking facility during the war, and the Government employed and brought these very eccentric people together under one roof who were basically a bunch of “Super Heroes” with special powers that other people in authority did not understand, who especially wore tank tops and tweeds. They recruited chess champions; they recruited mathematicians, who especially loved cracking puzzles, and they worked incredible long hours, and because of this, literally lived in Bletchley Park. With regards to Joan Clarke who eventually became Head of Hut 8 in 1944. Joan Clarke carried on code breaking even after the war, and went onto work at the secret GCHQ organisation and eventually was awarded the MBE in 1947 for her sterling work during the Second World War. But despite all the pressure they had put upon these special brainy people, they managed to kept up their spirits and there was also a great camaraderie atmosphere, which spearheaded the intelligence, in their endeavour to win the war. Bletchley Park went from a cottage industry to a huge industrial code breaking factory and at the start of the war housed 200 people to eventually 9,000 people, and of course one of the best kept secret of the Second World War and again helped shorten the war by two years and because they were extraordinary, and they should not be forgotten, as they were the true heroes of the war effort in thwarting the advance of the Nazi offensive. Despite this special feature being very short, it still packs a lot of information and is still very interesting in hearing their comments. Contributors include Mark Strong [Stewart Menzies], Tom Briggs [Bletchley Park Education Officer], Ian Standen [CEO Bletchley Park], Matthew Beard [Peter Hilton], Teddy Schwarzman [Producer], Matthew Goode [Hugh Alexander], Benedict Cumberbatch [Alan Turing], Maria Djurkovic [Production Designer], Victoria Worpole [Director Learning and Collections of Bletchley Park Trust], Allen Leech [John Cairncross], Keira Knightley [Joan Clarke] and Morten Tyldum [Director].Trailers: Here you have a selection of four trailers and they are as follows: ‘Before I Go To Sleep’ [2014] [1080p [2.35:1] [2:15]; ‘RUSH’ [2013] [1080p] [2.35:1] [2:35]; Maltesers TV Advert [2015] [1080p] [1.78:1] [00:32] and ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ [2011] [1080p] [2.35:1] [1:53]Finally, ‘THE IMITATION GAME’ [2014] works really well in creating a moving story about an incredible person of Alan Turing and his co-workers that did such sterling, astonishing work during the Second World War, and also a look at the tragic true real-life story about Alan Turing in showing us how a brilliant but socially inept man accomplished the impossible by breaking the supposedly impregnable “ENIGMA CODE” during World War II. This is a wonderful exciting film which will have viewers glued to their seats from start to finish. It is one of the best films of 2014 and this Blu-ray edition is essentially flawless and is an engrossing and poignant tour de force thriller, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s excellent performance gives added complexity to a fine account of the life and times of the brilliant codebreaker Alan Turing, it also is surprisingly humorous and it also manages to nail the emotional moments in the film and deserved all the Awards and Nominations it received. Very Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom