BFI London Film Festival 2014 to open with The Imitation Game

Benedict Cumberbatch gets his stiff upper lip right out in the recent trailer for The Imitation Game, the latest film from Morten Tyldum, the director of the bonkers Jo Nesbo adaptation Headhunters. The Imitation Game has been chosen as the film to open the 2014 London Film Festival which, judging by this trailer, is a fairly exciting prospect indeed.

The films is ‘a dramatic portrayal of the life and work of Alan Turing, one of Britain’s most extraordinary unsung heroes, and one of the world’s greatest innovators’. There are a lot of very serious and stern faces in the trailer. Mark Strong warns of the possibility of execution, Matthew Goode looks on a bit baffled, and then Keira Knightley pops up with an accent so posh, it manages to make even Cumberbatch’s own tones sound positively common. Not enough famous faces for you? Well that bastard Tywin Lanister (Charles Dance) has recovered from his crossbow through the gut, enough to scowl his way through the trailer as well.

Here is a snippet from the London Film Festival website about the film:

 ‘The pioneer of modern-day computing, Turing is credited with cracking the German Enigma code and the film is a nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team at Britain’s top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Turing, whose contributions and genius significantly shortened the war, saving thousands of lives, was the eventual victim of an unenlightened British establishment, but his work and legacy live on.’

Alan Turing is positioned as an outsider, genius and an enigma and it’s at this point that you have to ask with all this talk of war, breaking codes and Bletchley Park shenanigans, um wait a minute... didn’t Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott cover all this already in Enigma? Hopefully not...

And what’s with the obsession with war at the London Film Festival this year? With Fury closing the Festival, the films announced so far definitely have the scent of death and glory very much in their nostrils. 

The premiere will be at the Odeon Leicester Square on Wednesday 8th October and no doubt there will plenty of stars on the red carpet flashing their gorgeous gnashers, even as the paparazzi flash back at them with their cameras. Cumberbitches/Cumberpeople (whatever they’re called) better get their life size cardboard cut outs/posters/Sherlock dolls at the ready because he’s sure to be smouldering. For the fellas, um Keira Knightley will be pouting her way along the red carpet before somebody hopefully gets her a giant bag of popcorn to enjoy during the movie.

BFI LFF director Clare Stewart says: 

‘We are thrilled to announce one of the most anticipated films of the year – The Imitation Game – as this year’s BFI London Film Festival Opening Night gala. Featuring extraordinary performances from the British talent in front of the camera and vividly directed by Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game does cinematic justice to Alan Turing’s vision, determination and personal story as well as his enduring impact on British history and contemporary life.’

Director Morten Tyldum says:
 ‘I am thrilled to be returning to London to share The Imitation Game with the audience of the BFI London Film Festival. The experience of directing this film has been so tremendously rewarding, and I am humbled to share Alan Turing’s incredible story on Opening Night.’

If you can’t get to the opening night gala, or any of the cinemas around the country that will screen the film simultaneously, then The Imitation Game opens in UK cinemas on 14 November, 2014. The full programme will be announced on Wednesday 3 September and public booking opens on 18 September.

Here is the trailer:



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