An entertaining and engrossing portrayal of the life and work of one of Britain’s most extraordinary unsung heroes, Alan Turing, could have been a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but the producers of THE IMITATION GAME have found the key.

A top notch screenplay by Graham Moore, Oscar contending performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, impeccable production design by Maria Djurkovich, and assured direction by Morten Tyldum should ensure box office success and critical kudos.

1939, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, England: Turing arrives at the heavily fortified Victorian mansion for a meeting with the head of the top secret Government Code and Cypher School, naval Commander Alastair Denniston. The interview does not go well. Denniston finds the Cambridge mathematics graduate arrogant and obtuse and is about to show him the door when Alan mentions Enigma, the German military code machine.

Denniston points out that Enigma is unbreakable, but Turing gleefully responds that he should be allowed to try. This scene alone is worth the price of admission, a clever, comedic, rapid repartee between Cumberbatch’s Turing and Charles Dance’s Denniston. The writing and timing is a master class that is funnier than any so called comedy of late.

Indeed, there is a rich vein of humour that courses through this highly dramatic film, especially mined in the scenes between Turing and MI6 man, Stewart Menzies, played superbly by Mark Strong.

Mathematics and tactics have rarely played such an enthralling and entertaining part in an entirely fascinating film that shows both the frustration and exhilaration of code breaking, a pursuit that proved immensely important in the shortening and final Allied victory in World War Two.

Not only integral to the pressing job at hand, Turing’s work was also at the cutting edge of the burgeoning computer age, so his legacy was not only securing our future but creating it.

Part bio pic, part character study, part thriller, THE IMITATION GAME has a vibrant velocity propelled by a premium cast, superlative script and dynamic direction.