The Imitation Game

Tali: The Imitation Game tells the true story of Alan Turing, a brilliant but misunderstood mathematician who created what was essentially the first digital computer - all to win the war against the Nazis. Those this film is billed as a "wartime thriller," and it is, there is very little action involved. There is nothing exciting about watching a few nerds in a room try to dicect code. The film draws on the performances of the cast, along with the weight of importance of the mission itself, which makes this movie a heavy hitter. Cumberbatch, Knightley and even ol' Papa Lannister are all perfectly cast and are just wonderful to watch. An excellent, must-see film, especially since the Golden Globes are only a week away. Also, if you're interested, here is a nifty little piece about Joan Clarke, the female codebreaker featured in the film. 85/100.

Leo: I am a  fan of this movie for a lot of reasons so I'll try to summarize them quickly. First and foremost, I actually enjoy the code breaking and math puzzles aspect of this movie. It made me want to go do some logic games from my LSAT books (am I kidding???) and I definitely understood his excitement to solving the "unsolvable" machine. Next up, the performances. Benedict Cumberbatch killed it. He really sold me that Alan Turing was both fragile and unshakeable at the same time. You couldn't help but tear up (not cry, I don't do that) at certain parts of the movie. All of my favourite British people like Tywin Lannister and Ozymandias (he actually plays an American in that movie) were great in supporting roles. Lastly, the message. The power of the message through text is surprisingly common in movies this year and even more surprisingly, effective. Leometer: 87/100.