A portrait of provincial Russia. All characters have a drinking and/or depression problem. They don't talk much. If they talk, they usually say uninteresting stuff. Or they scream at each other. Because they are drunk. Other than being drunk, depressed and angry, they seem to have no discernable human qualities. The film employs the the one-man-against-the-corrupt-system trajectory, albeit not very convincingly. You could watch only the first 15mins and not really miss anything.
Pretty much your average blockbuster production biopic. Nothing surprising, nothing unusual, nothing too interesting. Near the end, the director tries half-heartedly to make a semi-philosophical connection between Turings theories and his emotional life. The rest is just standard Hollywood. Watchable, but intellectually boring, not worthy of Alan Turing.
Is there anyone who has not seen this film yet? If so: nearly perfect mix of action, coolness, gadgetery, dystopian sci-fi elements and, yes, philosophy. Shot with revolutionary technology. Easily one of the outstanding pieces of entertainment from the 90s. Too bad Hollywood had to do two more than mediocre sequels, of course.
