Who is bad/who is good? Who is my enemy? Can a bad act ever be excused? Yes, the film's pace is not as rapid as many people are now used to, and the complex plot requires a fair bit of 'join the dots' exosition from Stoppard, and concentration from the audience. Highly recommended.Īn impressive and thought-provoking film, I think. But I can't deny that this is one of the best and most intriguing British films I have seen in a long time. I also spotted the odd amusing moment, and the climax is satisfying.Īs I pointed out earlier, not everyone will find this film continuously entertaining. There's action, depth, likeable leads, strong dialogue, and a love story. Actually, I reckon the film has a little something for everybody. Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) directs, and I certainly got a few hints of modern James Bond here. In fact, even though all the characters aren't developed well, they perfectly serve their purpose in the film. Special mention must also go to Jeremy Northam, and also Saffron Burrows, who isn't given that much to do, but does it well, although her character comes across as icy. I have yet to see Kate Winslet give a bad performance, and this one will improve her resume even further. There are a few occasions where he seems to be trying too hard to convey emotions, but they're rare. Dougray Scott (promising in the disappointing MI2) gives a very effective display. If the premise might not draw in the crowds, perhaps the names of the actors will, especially so considering that there isn't one disappointment. There's plenty of eye-catching scenery, and I especially liked the use of camera to differentiate between the flashbacks and the actual story. It's aided by a strong musical score (including a particularly moving finishing tune), and beautiful cinematography. For the film's early, complicated set-up paves the way for much greater entertainment than I initially believed - in fact, better than anything I've seen in multiplexes this year. But if you can follow it from the start, you'll enjoy the film even more. The script, whilst intelligent, is occasionally over-complicated and difficult to follow at the beginning. However, those who let the premise put them off may well be disappointed, for this is a clever, realistic and moving film, adapted from a best-selling novel. The premise of this film - cracking enemy codes during World War II whilst trying to solve a mystery - might not appeal to a large audience. Submitted by Simon 'Psi' Fallaha on 21:00 Nevertheless, the film is interesting, well made and well acted, and worth a look. The critics have praised this film as intelligent, but it's worth quoting Hitchcock's maxim on the virtue of simplicity: "A confused audience isn't emoting." In other words, it's hard to feel involved when key concepts aren't easily assimilated in the time it takes for the film-maker to put them across. Is Saffron Burrows' character a spy and for which side? By the end I vaguely understood what she had been up to (which is as close as I ever get with spy stories) but I'd get pretty muddled if I had to explain it to someone. One of the boffins hit upon the answer, his fellow boffins said "Great, let's get down to work!" I was left thinking, "Er, could you run that by me again?"Ģ. Technical solution to a problem that the plot hangs upon, in this case how to work out the crib that'll enable the messages from the U-boats to be decoded. I'm really disappointed.Īn intriguing film, but it contained two plot elements guaranteed to confuse thick people like me.ġ. The story of the Enigma decoding is thrilling enough and more than capable of holding the attention of an intelligent audience without all the fripperie heaped on it here. The film-makers should have been clear on why the book was a success. It seemed like an attempt at an English war movie by numbers. All of the 'old boys' and 'old things', a young pipe smoker, the boffins being unwordly scruffs - it just felt lazy. Dougray Scott was just irritating - I truly wonder that he was cast in the role at all - Kate Winslett's performance seemed very self-conscious and none of the characters seemed to speak their lines naturally. Story problems aside, the characters were incredibly cliched. In fact, the film was so confusing that I left the cinema confused as to what I was actually confused about! The film-makers seem to have got caught between three stools should the film be a tense thriller, a tale of lost love or a spy story? Intertwining all of these themes while simultaneously trying to explain the breaking of the Germans' Enigma code just led to confusion. Left the cinema a little disappointed, to tell you the truth. I'd read the novel on which it is - loosely - based a couple of years ago and was really looking forward to it.
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