Thursday, January 15, 2015

"The Imitation Game" Nabs 8 Oscar Nominations

This year’s Academy Award nominations were announced this morning, and Norwegian director Morten Tyldum’s film
“The Imitation Game” has a shot at winning eight Oscars. Here’s as recap of the categories in which the film is nominated:

• Best picture
• Best director (Morten Tyldum)
• Best actor (Benedict Cumberbatch)
• Best supporting actress (Keira Knightley)
• Best adapted screen play
• Best film editing
• Best original score
• Best production design

The film tells the story of British mathematician, cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch). During World War II, he created a machine that cracked the codes of Germany’s Enigma and saved millions of lives. His work generated a field of research into "Turing Machines"—what we know today as computers. The film is based on Andrew Hodge’s book, “Alan Turing: The Enigma.”
Photo: Jack English courtesy of Black Bear Pictures
Tyldum has directed several films in his native Norway, including the BAFTA-nominated “Headhunters,” but “The Imitation Game” is his English- language directing debut. Early in the process, filmmakers were excited to welcome him to the project.
Photo: Jack English courtesy of Black Bear Pictures

In the film’s production notes, Teddy Schwarzman, head of film production and financing company Black Bear Pictures, knew Tyldum was the man for the job: “Ultimately it was a Norwegian who blew me away with his true understanding of the characters. Morten Tyldum knew what was driving everybody in the story and that it was a story of love and loss and triumph.”

Screenwriter Graham Moore was also thrilled for Tyldum to join the production: "I never dreamed that we would end up with a director with the level of skill and craft that Morten brings to this movie. From the first second I sat down with him, I left the meeting and called everyone else and said 'It has to be this guy. This is the director of the film. He just got it and so instinctively.'"
Benedict Cumberbatch and director Morten Tyldum on set.
Photo: Jack English Courtesy of Black Bear Pictures

“The Imitation Game” is no stranger to award nominations, as it also garnered five Golden Globe and three Screen Actor Guild Award nominations earlier this winter. Check out the Academy Awards to see the results on February 22, 2015.

Have you seen the film? What did you think?

Anya Britzius is editor of Viking magazine. She lives in Minneapolis, Minn., and enjoys baking, reading and keeping up on modern Norwegian trends.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I learned of this film from your November 27 blog post - thank you so much! I saw The Imitation Game this past weekend. I LOVED it! I have a degree in Computer Science, so I have known of Alan Turing for over 30 years, but now I know the real person. Of course, I was drawn in because of the Norwegian director as well. I'm a huge fan of the Varg Veum series and Morten Tyldum directed the 2008 Fallen Angels movie.

But you don't need to be into computers to appreciate this well-crafted production that blends three periods of Alan Turing's life into one seamless story and reveals the enormous contributions he made to our society. I have recommended it to our lodge, to all my geek friends, to my family, and to my friends in general. Go see it!