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Enigma
 
Starring:
Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott, Jeremy Northam and Saffron Burrows
Directed
by: Michael Apted
Rated: R
Bluntly
speaking? Enigma is a brilliant intelligent little yarn riddled with suspense
and master story telling, with a heavy scoop of talents sweetening up the celluloid.
Bravo! And it's a decidedly British film that's been shot beautifully and sans
special effects. It's also a genuine "war film" but without the dramatic
oh-so-seen war shots; refreshingly void of hokey FX filmed war-torn fanfare inserted
simply for bloody glory. It's
something of an enigma….Oh,
how true that phrase is when describing the goings on at Bletchley Park during
WW2. Bletchley was a strategic military base in upper England filled with geniuses,
"Bletchley Brains," and brilliant code breakers working around the clock
to crack enemy codes that could save lives, and ultimately win the allies the
war. It was a real place filled with silent heroes that, until now, we were not
privy to. Story
goes...we meet a fictitious brilliant mathematician fellow* named Tom Jericho
(handsome mankabob Dougray Scott). Tom's a bit of a loon, yet still a Bletchley
Park hero. This is his tale... He's
recently back from a mental "rest." Of course why would they let a code
breaker with a loose noggin back is your first question? Well, simply, he's the
best there is at craker jack code crackin' . Tom has broken the nefarious Enigma
Shark machine's code once already, and the nasty Krauts have managed to
change the code yet again, sending the Allies into communication hell. They need
someone with his brilliance now more than ever, to do it again—urgently.
There's a large convoy of supplies heading across the Atlantic via cargo ships
and without the positions of the dreaded U-Boats available only through this code
machine, they are sitting ducks! But,
poor Tom's got more on his beautiful mind than just jumbled letters and numbers.
He's been bitten firmly on the arse by the smit bug over a coworker named Claire
(stunning beauty Saffron Burrows). Tom ventures over to reunite with her at her
lovely cottage only to find her bookish her stoutly roommate Hester (Kate- preggo
during filming-Winslet). Hester tells Tom Claire's simply disappeared. Oh, but
she's left all these secret code documents she stole from Bletchley behind… Oh
dear! Is the one woman Tom was able to decipher nothing but a filthy spy? Hester
and Tom must, somehow, get to the bottom of this nefarious mystery. As
they come closer to discovering Claire's truths, it becomes apparent something
other than the daily secrets of war is a foot in their small shire… There's
nothing sexier than spy stuff. Oh, right. There is! Spy stuff set in the forties
with British accents thrown in! Yum! This
Dougray Scott (pronounced doog-ray), no matter how odd his adorable manly name
is, a pleasure (in more ways than one) to watch. He's all stern and formal in
this like a budding Ralph Fiennes. One gets that same urge to dip him in Magic
Shell™ quick hardening candy topping, and nibble off the sticky dessert slowly
till he's all cleaned up!
Kate Winslet is just a frank honest little
actor and cares not for the frilly flattering look so many stars require before
they adorn the lens. And here, true to her Hester character, this natural beauty
appears frumpy with exponents. A true and talented actor. Wonderful
Jeremy Northam, who looks like he's stepped from a time
machine out of this era, plays a snooty sneaky government guy with a snooty sneaky
name, Wigram. This chap's also quite the looker. A Sheppard's Pie of a man...layers
of delectable tasty bits for your perusal!
Enigma's story is so compelling and the actors so bewitching you don't even notice
no one blows up. And with all the sexy RAF uniform clad men and 1940's style suits
up on the screen it is also a bit of a man festival for the retina gals! Truly
scrumptious. But, yet, it's also a thinking film with just enough romance and
suspenseful thrills to lighten the cerebral load. Enigma
is a British film in the highest sense of the word. Enjoy! Snack
recommendation: North Umberland Sconces and Burberry of course dear.
* BluntAside:
The most famous actual resident of Bletchley Park was the infamous mathematician
genius Alan Turing (also considered the father of computers that even inspired
Apple computer's logo with his morbid suicide from an arsenic laced apple), but
he's not a part of this particular bit of history mixed with romanticism- "he
would have required an entire other film" director Michael Apted informed
Enigma
is based on Robert Harris' best seller...find it
HERE
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