Customer Reviews

Enigma (Special Edition)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I won't comment about the movie (or the plot, or the cast, for that matter). Some might like it, some might not. I did, and I'll probably see it again, now that I've bought it (and I don't regret it - for the movie itself). Amazon and its associated merchant delivered it promptly and in the advertised shape.
This brings me to the point of my review: technically, I simply hated this DVD! The movie transfer onto DVD (and I mean the video quality) is _utterly disgusting_ (and I _do_ weigh in my words). Many of the videos found on Y**T**e site are much better.
So, if you want to own it, do yourselves a favor: look for another version.
Again, I gave it one star only, but this reflects the video quality, not the movie itself or the purchasing/delivery process.

Enjoyable, smart WWII thriller about code breaking, based on a true story, and notable for being a war film
more about human intelligence then daring action. The script by Tom Stoppard is strong.

While it's a very good film, some irritating flaws keep it from being great. With the exception of Kate Winslet, a
lot of the acting is over the top. Worse, the film wimps out on the true story, and misses some fascinating
complexity, since in real life the lead character was gay, at a time where that alone was enough to win everyone's
distrust and indeed he faced persecution in the post-war years rather than being hailed as a hero.
Further, the whole style of the film feels old-fashioned in a way that goes back and forth between charming and
feeling forced. Last, this is a really weak DVD transfer. Lots of soft spots, etc.

And yet, all that said I'd still urge people to see it, for daring to be a wartime thriller with smarts.

During WWII, a motley crew of men were recruited in Great Britain to intercept and translate the Nazi Enigma code. Scott plays Tom Jericho, one of the decoders who falls hard for an over-lipsticked Burrows and breaks down when she rejects him. Having returned to his decoding job after a mental-health hiatus, Jericho has only four days to translate a new Enigma code, thus saving a fleet of Allied convoy ships and presumably winning the war. Winslet dons a pair of Harry Potter specs to play plain-Jane Hester Wallace, who helps Jericho decode the new Enigma.

That the Enigma decoders came from all walks of life is reiterated throughout the movie. In fact, Enigma devotes much of its time to telling instead of showing; Scott had to memorize what must have been pages of script in order to narrate the development of Enigma and its decoding process. Northam, squinting his way through his role as a classist, sexist Intelligence dandy, also snidely lectures on the democratic demographics of the decoding staff. Similarly, Winslet frequently reminds us how women got the short shrift for their work in the war effort-a message with good intentions, but delivered rather obviously. This word-heavy tendency is accompanied by conventional plot devices and a series of twists and turns that require still further explanation from the characters.

Interestingly, the one subtle message in Enigma deserves more attention; specifically, the Faustian repercussions of the Allies' collaboration with Joseph Stalin. That the British kept these repercussions hushed up for fear of the Americans' reaction speaks volumes about who, ultimately, was calling the shots during the war.

This is one of those films that seems to have so much going for it. Great actors, an intriguing story on the video jacket, and that hint of mystery that threatens to suck us in. Be warned. Enigma fails to deliver at any level. With the exception of Jeremy Northam, the acting is mediocre at best. Jeremy at least manages to appear somewhat interested in the story. Kate Winslet's performance is weak, her character weird and immensely unsympathetic. Rent this first. See if you can make it through the entire tired plot, stereotypical "bad guys," and random acts of sex, before you commit to making it your own.

Mick Jagger owns an enigma machine and has had great interest in it for years. This explains why he produced this particular project. Michael Apted does a great job of directing, albeit different from "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Gorillas in the Mist," or the underrated "Enough" with Jennifer Lopez. Tom Jericho is played by Dougray Scott who was the agent gone bad in "Mission Impossible 2" and Drew Barrymore's heartthrob in "Ever After." Here, he carries a torch with a very long fuse for Claire Romilly, spending much of the movie in the sadness of heartbreak. His eventual connection to Hester Wallace doesn't explode with the same chemistry, but seems like a comfortable choice for the character. Saffron Burrows who was in "Circle of Friends," "Frida" and "In the Name of the Father" does a great job as a seductive temptress. Jeremy Northam who was in "The Net," "Gosford Park" and "Happy Texas" does a suave job as the detective whose motives we never quite trust. Kate Winslett is made plain, quite unlike her "Titanic" persona," but communicates the earnestness of an over-achiever. Apted keeps the pace interesting despite the intensity of the brainwork going on to decipher the enigma code. This is a good period piece, a strong journeyman film with flashes of brilliance. Enjoy!

The theme is intriguing enough to make you want to watch the movie pronto -- the (supposedly British) breaking of the Nazi secret code in WWII at Bletchley Park, the busy estate of British decrypters.

Ok, so it is known that the people responsible for cracking Enigma's code were actually a group of Polish mathematicians, who made a replica in 1933 and presented France/England with cracked Enigma specimens in 1939, which helped the allies to know the orders and plans of Third Reich. So what. To the many crypto-aficianodos-turned-reviewers who seem to decry the artistic license in the movie -- well this is not Discovery channel is it. If you're looking for a history lesson read a book (e.g., "Between Silk And Cyanide") or google for Bletchely. If you want an entertaining visual narrative about it, watch this movie.

It is not easy to create an entertaining film about a subject that is for the most part mind-boggling -- cryptography. "Enigma" does a gripping and (mostly) credible job of capturing the nib of wartime espionage over 60 years ago. The drama, resplendent with it's cast of British idiosynchrasies (within which Dougray Scott provides a surprisingly underplayed and likeable genius), is both thrilling and of historical interest. The dialogue is snappy and interesting. But true to any 21st century spy movie, romance is thrown in for good measure as well and this is where Winslett makes herself useful.

The ultimate denouement with a couple of weedy subplots may be a little uninvolving but that doesn't detract Enigma from being an intriguing thriller overall. Highly recommended if you aren't expecting a super fast "Lola Rentt" pace.

This film rises above a tricky plot structure (you must pay attention every minute) and flashbacks (always difficult to sustain) due to lush period details, vivid imagery and excellent performances, by Northam and Winslett particularly. I hope for a Wigram sequel.

The movie based on the Robert Harris book is quite intteresting and not at all predictable. Dougray Scott takes his three first names and breaks code for the British during World War II. His quest is to reveal whether his former lover used him to give information to the Nazis. Real life events play as a backdrop to characters trying to figure out who the good guys are. Kate Winslett plays the frumpy one this time, but she still looks cute if you watch closely. I liked it a great deal. The fine English actors rose it above the level that is usually expected in these films. The DVD, though, offered no goodies of any kind. A shame, because producer Mick Jagger is a total buff on World War II decoder machines. A documentary about how the real war was decoded would have been perfect.

During World War II, England's code breaking operations were headquartered at Bletchley Park. Here a crack team of experts worked to intercept and decode enemy messages. Enigma, is a rather cloudy tale of intrigue, involving members of this elite group. The story centers on Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott), a member of the code breaking team who has recently suffered a breakdown, and is now returning to his job at Bletchley. Prior to his breakdown, Jericho had a brief love affair with a coworker, Claire Romily (Saffron Burrows), who is now mysteriously missing. Jericho seeks the aid of Claire's friend, and roommate, Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet), and the two begin looking into what might have happened to Claire. Conducting the official investigation into her disappearance, and on the lookout for anyone suspicious, is security man Wigram (Jeremy Northam).

Large Allied convoys are headed East across the Atlantic, through waters patrolled by German U-boats. The enemy has recently changed their code, and at the moment, the English have no way to decipher enemy communications. The one hope they have, is to somehow come up with a "crib", a key, which will enable them, at least short term, to decipher the German's messages.

The story basically centers on the activities of Hester and Tom, as they try to discover what Claire may have been involved with just before her disappearance. The mysterious Claire is seen only in flashbacks. Eventually a breakthrough is made, using the "enigma" machine, a captured Nazi device, used to code and decode messages. Jericho is able to come up with the much needed "crib". Events and emotion, serve to turn the mild mannered fellow into a hero type. The ending featuring Jericho as the mouse that roared, turning the tables on Wigram, may be a little too convenient, and the story finishes with a tease that wraps up the loose ends.

Dougray Scott's performance as Jericho is a rather brooding one, and makes it hard to root for him. A rather frumpy looking, and bespectacled Kate Winslet, provides what little warmth and brightness there is. Presented primarily in flashback mode, Saffron Burrows as the "enigmatic" Claire, has only limited opportunities for character development. Jeremy Northam as the smug, self-satisfied Wigram, is a prissy fellow who doesn't quite have all the right answers.

In summary, we have an interesting British period piece, that attempts to blend suspense and romance, and does neither particularly well. The resulting composition while somewhat entertaining, is not completely satisfying. And if it matters, the film is apparently not historically accurate regarding some real people that the fictional characters are drawn from. John Barry's soundtrack contributes to the sleepy atmosphere, the music at times sounding like it has been recycled from one of his slower Bond efforts like Moonraker. This film may be best suited to those interested in low key wartime dramas, or fans of Kate Winslet.

There's a great story in the muck here somewhere about cloistered English WW II codebreakers and their intellectual battle to crack the Nazi's Enigma machine.

Of course, instead of just telling us that compelling saga, the filmmakers goop it up & find it necessary to launch lead character Dougray Scott on a movie-long, John Nash-like emotional and mental tailspin. Like Nash, of course, Scott's Tom Jericho gets it together and (as opposed to getting a Nobel Prize) basically wins the war for the home team. Yea!

Unfortunately, Michael Apted can't hold a candle to Ron Howard when it comes to narrative and simple storytelling. I was so often flummoxed by what the heck was supposed to be happening. Much of that had to do with the dialogue, which seemed at times to be muffled and rushed.

The redeeming factor here is Kate Winstead. She's underutilized here (check out 'Iris' - among many others - to get a fuller appreciation of her talent), but the movie gets clarified and improves dramatically every time she appears in a scene. Thank goodness for that.