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Codebreaker is a biographical drama movie which chronicles the fascinating life and achievements of one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century, Alan Turing. Directed by Clare Beavan and starring Ed Stoppard in the lead role, the film offers an insightful and emotional portrayal of Turing's personal and professional struggles, including his pioneering work as a cryptographer during World War II, his contribution to the birth of the digital age, and his ultimate persecution and tragic demise.

The movie begins in 1952, with Turing facing a police interrogation for his homosexuality, which was then a criminal offense in Britain. This sets the stage for a series of flashbacks that follow Turing from his awkward teenage years in the 1920s, through his groundbreaking work at Bletchley Park during the war, to his conflicted relations with his colleagues and society at large.

Turing is shown as a complex and eccentric character, whose social ineptitude and sharp-tongued wit often put him at odds with his peers. However, his intellect and creativity are unquestionable, and it is his singular talent for solving puzzles that eventually attracts the attention of the British intelligence agency. Soon, Turing is recruited to help crack the Nazi Enigma code, which had hitherto been considered unbreakable.

The scenes set at Bletchley Park are among the most gripping in the film, capturing the intensity and urgency of the code-breaking effort, as well as the toll it took on the team's mental and physical health. We see Turing working long hours in cramped conditions, poring over piles of intercepted messages and testing out his ideas on primitive machines. We also witness his strained relationships with his colleagues, particularly the conservative and envious Hugh Alexander (played by Paul McGann), who is appointed as Turing's supervisor. The two men clash over the best approach to tackle the code, and Alexander's lack of appreciation for Turing's methods leads to several heated confrontations.

Amidst this pressure cooker environment, Turing also finds himself falling in love with a colleague, Joan Clarke (played by the delightful Anna Chancellor), who shares his passion for mathematics and logic. However, their relationship is constrained by both the social norms of the time and Turing's own sexual orientation, and their scenes together are marked by a bittersweet sense of unfulfilled potential.

As the war goes on, Turing's breakthroughs in code-breaking become increasingly important to the Allied cause, but also put him in greater danger, as the Nazis step up their efforts to change the Enigma settings and foil the deciphering. The film builds up to a tense and emotional climax, as Turing and his team race against time to decode a message that will determine the fate of a British convoy. The outcome of this pivotal moment is both exhilarating and tragic, as it emboldens Turing to pursue a new, ambitious project that will change the face of computing forever.

However, the post-war years are marked by a new kind of hostility towards Turing, as his homosexuality becomes a matter of official record and invites persecution and discrimination. The film depicts this in a stark and heartbreaking fashion, as Turing is forced to undergo chemical castration as a punishment, which leads to a rapid decline in his physical and mental health. It is in these dark moments that the film's themes of identity, oppression, and redemption come to the fore, as Turing struggles to come to terms with his own legacy and make sense of his fate.

In summary, Codebreaker is a powerful and moving film that pays tribute to a remarkable individual and the far-reaching impact of his ideas. It combines historical accuracy with creative license to tell a story that is both educational and emotionally resonant, and features a strong cast of actors who bring to life a diverse and complex array of characters. It is a film that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of science and technology, as well as those who appreciate human drama and compassion.

Codebreaker is a 2011 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 2 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.