A Poor Imitation of Alan Turing by Christian Caryl | NYRblog | The New York Review of Books

Final paragraphs from a detailed review; also see Science Goes to the Movies: ‘The Imitation Game’ (Science Friday)

"To be honest, I’m a bit surprised that there hasn’t been more pushback against The Imitation Game by intelligence professionals, historians, and survivors of Turing’s circle. But I think I understand why. After so many years in which Turing failed to get his due, no one wants to be seen as spoiling the party. I strongly doubt, though, that many of those in the know are recommending this film to their friends. (For his part, Alan Hodges is apparently opting to avoid talking about the movie during his current book tour—it’s easy to imagine why he might choose to do so, and I don’t fault him for it.)

If you want to see a richly imagined British movie about a fascinating historical character, go see Mike Leigh’s new film about the painter J.M.W. Turner. But if you want to see the real Alan Turing, you’re better off reading the books."

A Poor Imitation of Alan Turing by Christian Caryl | NYRblog | The New York Review of Books