Alan Turing was a technological pioneer and a bona fide war hero, but his accomplishments went largely unrecognized in his lifetime. Conversely, Benedict Cumberbatch is already receiving praises for his performance as the conflicted Turing in Morten Tyldum’s upcoming The Imitation Game. The Oscar-buzzed film also stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, and Mark Strong. The Imitation Game opens in Chicago on December 12, but The A.V. Club has an opportunity for you to see it early and for free on December 11. To receive passes, follow the link here and enter your information. Remember, seating is first come, first serve, so arrive early! A full synopsis and trailer for the film can be found below.
“During the winter of 1952, British authorities entered the home of mathematician, cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to investigate a reported burglary. They instead ended up arresting Turing himself on charges of ‘gross indecency’, an accusation that would lead to his devastating conviction for the criminal offense of homosexuality – little did officials know, they were actually incriminating the pioneer of modern-day computing. Famously leading a motley group of scholars, linguists, chess champions and intelligence officers, he was credited with cracking the so-called unbreakable codes of Germany’s World War II Enigma machine. An intense and haunting portrayal of a brilliant, complicated man, The Imitation Game follows a genius who under nail-biting pressure helped to shorten the war and, in turn, save thousands of lives.”