'Oscar bait' Imitation Game opens London Film Festival
Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley among the stars on red carpet for LFF opening night
Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley braved the rain last night to open this year's London Film Festival with their latest movie The Imitation Game.
Cumberbatch stars as British code-cracking genius Alan Turing, who is tasked with unscrambling messages encrypted by the German Enigma machines during World War II.
He helps the Allies defeat the Nazis, only to be criminally prosecuted for being a homosexual and chemically castrated.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cumberbatch told The Guardian last night that he felt a "certain weight of responsibility" in raising awareness of Turing's story.
"It's part of a momentum to give him the recognition he deserves as a scientist, the father of the modern computer age, a war hero and a man who lived an uncompromising life in a time of disgusting discrimination," said the actor.
He was joined on the red carpet at Leicester Square by Knightley, who plays Turing's fellow code breaker and one-time fiancee Joan Clarke, as well as other cast-members Charles Dance, Mark Strong and Downton Abbey actor Allen Leech (pictured below with his girlfriend, TV presenter Charlie Webster).
The Imitation Game, which opens in UK cinemas on 14 November, is directed by Norwegian filmmaker Morten Tyldum (pictured below with his wife Janne).
Kate Muir of The Times says Cumberbatch is "brilliant" as Turing. "There are moments where Cumberbatch's face conveys a raft of unspoken emotion, and I could watch him read out the alphabet – which is basically what he does in this film – and still be mesmerised."
Ryan Lambie at Den of Geek says the "best-of-British" cast "ably backs up the central attraction". He singles out for particular praise a scene in which Alex Lawther (pictured below), playing a young Turing, is "absolutely astonishing" in one lengthy take focused on his eyes. "The hurt and pain of the whole film is in those eyes," says Lambie.
The film has already been described as "Oscar bait" after winning the People's Choice Award at Toronto Film Festival last month. The prize is seen as a key indicator of Oscar success, with three recent winners in Toronto – 12 Years a Slave, The King's Speech and Slumdog Millionaire – going on to win the Best Picture Academy Award.
However, the Daily Telegraph's Tim Robey is not convinced Cumberbatch is a dead cert for a gong. "Post-Sherlock, the star's natural intelligence is a gift but no longer a surprise, and his work here, entirely committed and clever though it is, feels so customised for awards voters to coo over, it may inspire rebellious thoughts."
- The Imitation Game will hit cinemas on November 14.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Baltimore bridge disaster: Who is going to pay and how?
Today's Big Question Politicians, legal experts, and the insurance industry are all grappling with the financial fallout of America's worst infrastructure tragedy in years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
What’s on this weekend? From Official Secrets to Have I Got News For You?
The Week Recommends Your guide to what’s worth seeing and reading this weekend
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Benedict Cumberbatch’s best TV shows and films
In Depth The Sherlock star has rarely been off our screens over the past decade
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Patrick Melrose: what we know about Benedict Cumberbatch’s new series
Daily Briefing Actor stars as the titular character in this bleakly funny yet harrowing literary adaptation
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Love Actually sequel: Which characters will return?
The Week Recommends Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln reprise their popular roles to raise money for Red Nose Day
By The Week Staff Published
-
Time is money: IWC's new bursary for British film
In Depth The Swiss watchmaker, in association with the BFI, continues its support of the industry with a £50,000 fund and limited-edition timepiece
By The Week Staff Published
-
Benedict Cumberbatch gives a 'dazzling turn' in Hollow Crown
The Week Recommends Sherlock star delivers a 'gripping study of psychopathy' in BBC's adaptations of Shakespeare's 'least loved' histories
By The Week Staff Published
-
Shakespeare's death: How to toast 400 years of the bard's demise
The Week Recommends Walks, talks, TV and stage shows pay tribute to Britain's greatest playwright this weekend
By The Week Staff Published
-
Doctor Strange: Can Benedict Wong save Strange from controversy?
In Depth New trailers reveal more about Mads Mikkelsen's Kaecilius and Wong the 'manservant'
By The Week Staff Last updated