Enigma is based on the fictional Robert Harris novel which is a part wartime thriller and part love story based on code breakers in Bletchley Park. It mixes fiction with some real characters and events. The book is gives a grim depictions of a war torn Britain which I am afraid endured for several decades after the war.
Dougray Scott is a mathematician recovering from a breakdown after a doomed love affair. He returns to Bletchley to find out his ex lover, Claire has gone missing and there is pressure to crack the Enigma code and with intelligence officers crawling about, there might also be a mole in his team.
Scott (with a variable accent) teams up with a dowdy Kate Winslet to investigate what happened to Claire and discover something more sinister.
The film was adapted by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard. He introduces some new scenes and different climax from the book. He does well in keeping the grimness of domestic life and fashions of the time but its not a successful screenplay. Director Michael Apted struggles to give flair and spark to the film as it remains dour, dull and lifeless. Despite a few extravagant scenes it does look like a glorified television film.
Scott and Winslet work well together but the film is too uneven, there are some good shots of the code breaking machines whirring around and some humorous scenes of the women working in Bletchley with the lecherous supervisor. The thriller element despite a good start fails to work and in this adaptation seems flawed.
Jeremy Northam's acting is provided by his hat and his supercilious character has a habit of speaking lines that sound out of period.
A disappointment especially as I enjoyed reading the novel.
Enigma
2001
Action / Drama / Mystery / Romance / Thriller / War
Enigma
2001
Action / Drama / Mystery / Romance / Thriller / War
Plot summary
The story of the WWII project to crack the code behind the Enigma machine, used by the Germans to encrypt messages sent to their submarines.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
August 02, 2016 at 11:42 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Not enigmatic
A Plot With Many Characters in an Environment Surrounded by Suspicion and Stress
During the Second World War, a team of genius is put together near to London to study means of breaking the German code used in the communication. Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott) broke this code in the past and had a break-down. Now his passion Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows) is missing and the British counter-espionage system believes she was a German spy. Tom becomes closer the Claire's best girl-friend Hester Wallace (the fantastic Kate Winslet) and together they will try to resolve the mystery of the disappearance of Claire in an war environment surrounded by suspicion and stress.
The plot of "Enigma" is not easy to be followed and understood and the viewer must pay attention in all the details. It is a great story, with thriller, action and romance. There are many characters and you must recall their names and what they have done. But it a good movie and watching it is worthwhile. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Enigma"
rather boring
Thomas Jericho (Dougray Scott) is brought back to Bletchley Park to decrypt the new version of the Enigma machine specially made for U-boats. He's been away after a mental breakdown. There is a large convoy coming across the Atlantic and the Allies are newly blind. There is a suspected spy as the Nazis seems to be changing their ways. Tom is searching for his missing girlfriend Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows) along with her flatmate Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet). Meanwhile Wigram (Jeremy Northam) is searching for the mole.
Dougray Scott gives a tiresome performance especially at the beginning when his character is world weary. Kate Winslet is playing a mousy character. All the flashbacks are pretty boring. Saffron Burrows is doing supermodel level of acting. Their great love never seem so great. The movie is a bore when this should be a thrilling spy story. In the end, I don't care about Jericho. That would be workable if Jericho actually turns out to be the mole. That would be quite a nice noir touch. Also the act of code breaking is not done that well. Although doing code breaking well has never been easy.