THE IMITATION GAME [2014]

Director Morten Tyldum, in his English langue debut, does a graceful job at telling the true story of WWII British cryptanalyst/computer scientist Alan Turing's solving of the Enigma code in The Imitation Game.
Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as the socially awkward and arrogant Turing who brilliant as he was, fell victim to his emotions, insecurities and heavy heart.   At the front, the film is a psychological character study smoothed over with the traits of a tragic historical thriller but it surprisingly and thankfully has it's fair share of well-timed laughs that is a breath of fresh air to it's type of film.  It's a harrowing story that's so easy to get invested in, with it's wonderful performances, confident storytelling and brilliantly executed direction all of which never outshine each other and instead compliment the next with refined precision.

4 crossword puzzles out of 5

HODEJEGERNE [2011]

aka Headhunters

God dammit, is director Morten Tyldum's crime-thriller, Hodejegerne, ever a wickedly twisted and entertaining ride.
It follows a highly successful art thief that steals from the wrong person, sending him into a tornado of problems that threaten to destroy his life.  It's a wonderfully executed hodge-podge of scares, laughs, thrills and twists 'n turns all of which wrap up quite nicely together without ever missing a beat.  It never forgets underneath all of it's layers and layers of plot developments (and buckets of blood) that's it still very much a tale of human behaviour, insecurities and cherishing the beauty of what's right in front of you.

5 shitty places to hide out of 5