The newest project by Sherlock star and all around internet sensation is garnering some serious Oscar buzz. Not only does the new movie by Benedict Cumberbatch The Imitation Game deal with compelling subject matter, and is set during one of the most dramatic times in world history, the actor also turns in quite a brilliant performance in it.
The movie revolves around the real life story of English mathematician and logician Alan Turing, who helped in the second world war efforts by cracking the renowned Enigma code. The Enigma code, according to the trailer, is "an unbreakable Nazi code" which would help the Allied Forces win the war. Cumberbatch plays Turing, who is a conflicted genius, plagued by personal issues that will eventually lead to tragic consequences.
In a recent interview with The Wrap, Benedict Cumbertbatch, Keira Knightley and director Morten Tyldum talked about the movie. They discussed in particular, the controversial issue in the film when the main character was outed as a homosexual and persecuted for it. The group talked about the deliberate choice not to include any sex scenes involving Alan Turing's character.
Cumberbatch responded that the movie did not set out to explore the main character's intimate personal life. "The fact that he's chemically castrated because he admits to being a homosexual; He talks about entreating a young man to touch his penis. I mean, it's pretty explicit," the actor said. "If you need to see that to understand that he's gay, then all is lost for any kind of subtle storytelling."
"I think, to me, it's not something that needed to be made obvious," said Benedict Cumberbatch about The Imitation Game. "The conversations are so naked in themselves that the idea of having to see two naked men wasn't something I ever thought was missing in the script."
This new movie is filled with notable UK actors that are familiar for their work in TV and movies. Keira Knightley is a co-star, as well as Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones) and Allen Leach (Tom Branson on Downton Abbey). It is directed by Morten Tyldum, a Norwegian film director who has won a BAFTA for Best Foreign Language film.
Telluride Film Festival screened Benedict Cumberbatch's The Imitation Game, and now the movie is making waves at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie will hit theaters on November 21.
