It's a well-known tale from Jane Austen back in the early 19th century. In a society where the only thing anybody seems to think about is finding a good suitor for his or her children, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are busy with five daughters to stress about. Lucky for them, one of their five, Lizzie (Keira Knightley), has a good enough grasp on her own independence to figure things out for herself.
If you can understand the British lilt accompanying the archaic repartee used throughout much of this film, then more power to you. Luckily, it doesn't hinder my ability to comprehend the main story, but the problem lies in the lighthearted banter that picks up the mood between dramatic ambits. Some things may get lost in translation, but it gets its point across.
Matthew MacFadyen does well as the famed Mr. Darcy. When you first see him on screen, he's so cold that you have no idea how that man is capable of love of any kind. He and Knightley's chemistry grows as their characters' does.
Lizzie, being from a more middle-class family, and Mr. Darcy, a wealthy personage of significance, have unspoken tensions and reservations about each other regarding financial status. And obviously, the point is that we should look past superficial attraction and at true character. However, this is derailed a bit as director Joe Wright's order of things gives us some reason to believe that Lizzie could, in fact, be falling in love with Mr. Darcy for those exact reasons. I assure you, this is far from Austen's original intent.
Nonetheless, this 2005 adaptation means well and is a classic piece of modern cinema. It may not be my first choice of drama to watch on any given day, but the impressive performances by the whole cast, along with the very consistent pacing make for an enjoyable watch. The beautiful scenery and set pieces are a plus, providing a pleasurable watch all the way to the end.
Twizard Rating: 96
I was really looking forward to watching this movie. How bad can a film about decrypting a Nazi war tool be? I failed to realize that it was more of a film about Alan Turing, himself.
It's a dual story, explaining how England government is secretly trying to decrypt the Nazi's Enigma code, while also acting as a character study of Alan Turing himself. My biggest issue with The Imitation Game is the filmmakers 'decision to put Turing's personal struggles and stopping Nazi Germany on the same importance level.
Throughout the film there are many chronological lapses back and forth in time. Although jumping around in the timeline may serve a grander purpose, we almost always prefer remaining at the time during the war when Enigma is being cracked. Maybe this is because the flashing back and forth is only there as testament to Turing as a person--not to parallel the issue with the Nazis.
When character studies are concluded we're meant to understand the character on a level that we thought not to be possible. But at the end of this film, we are still left at a cold distance away from him. And this is a trend, as there are no characters in this movie that we actually like--an issue that plagues many a potentially great film. While The Imitation Game is a great war drama, the character study is lacking that warmth, and ultimately this film, at times, becomes as hard to connect with as its main protagonist.
The script, although filled with superb dialogue, features confusing plot points, which aren't helped by the time-lapse narrative.
But this film does do many things right. Benedict Cumberbatch is terrific as Turing, and the supporting cast does a great job too. On the technical side, the set pieces and design are great to look at, and the score has heightened awareness. This film does everything correctly in those minute aspects. My biggest issues just come from within the script. However, overall, it isn't a bad movie by any means. It just isn't a great one.
Twizard Rating: 83
