This one's a beautiful, tender, quiet romantic drama with a moody atmosphere, set in a tight knit Welsh fishing community. It's a touching story about a man waking up sexually in the middle of his life, and how he, his family, and everyone around him deal with it, which makes it emotional and sentimental without ever getting over the top. The slow burn plays out against a landscape that's as bleak as it is gorgeous, where quiet, closed off men are stuck inside rigid ideas of what masculinity should be. Some people might be reminded of "God's Own Country," but I think both films are lovely in their own way. Jack is a middle aged guy who co-owns a mussel farm with his rough around the edges brother Dyfan, and the tension between the two of them is simmering under the surface right from the start. Dyfan's three sons all help out with the work, while Jack's sulky teenage son Tom keeps skipping out. Jack's been with his wife since they were both 16, and...
The film jumps back and forth in time, but it basically shows us what a genius Turing was. We see how close he was with his friend Chris at school, who sadly dies later on. He applies for a government job and ends up working on the Enigma code that helped in the war, but the focus there stays on his sexuality. Turing lives with a much younger man and doesn't try very hard to hide it. His boss at work even hints that he should keep his private life private so it doesn't give anyone ideas. He meets a beautiful woman at work who tells him she loves him, fully knowing he's gay. One thing leads to another, and after an incident, Turing has to declare his sexuality, which was a crime back then. That leads to a court case where he's forced to go through hormonal therapy to suppress his desire, and his secret clearance takes a hit too. A year later, in 1954, he's found dead. Official records say he took his own life.
It's a very theatrical film, mostly dialogue, with Turing, played by Derek Jacobi, and one other actor in every scene, nothing more than that. It was made for TV back in the day. Derek Jacobi gives a powerful, emotional performance and makes the role his own. It's a well crafted biopic about a very complicated man. It's not perfect, but for what we get, it's nicely directed with a terrific cast, and it tells a moving true story about one of the smartest men of the 20th century, who was treated appallingly because of his sexual orientation. The film tries to mix his past with his wartime achievements, but that half hearted attempt falls short. You wonder why so much stress goes on his sexuality and not on his brilliant mind. While watching, you realize how unfairly this great man was treated, and that instead of being prosecuted, he was owed a debt of gratitude by his own government, which only recently granted him a Royal Pardon. It's a full on drama, and I had my doubts when it started, but if you don't mind dialogue and interaction heavy films, you might actually enjoy it. Bottom line, a well acted, talky biopic that's strong on Turing's treatment but light on his genius. (6/10)
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