ENIGMA - BLUNT REVIEW

by Emily Blunt

Enigma is a brilliant intelligent little yarn riddled with suspense and master story telling. Bravo! It's a decidedly British film, shot beautifully and sans special effects. It's a war film without the dramatic oh-so-seen war shots. Refreshingly void of hokey FX filmed fanfare inserted simply for bloody glory. Enigma's story is so compelling and the actors so bewitching you don't even notice no one blows up.

It's something of an enigma….

Oh, how true that phrase is when describing the goings on at Bletchley Park during WW2. Bletchley was a strategic military base in upper England filled with geniuses "Bletchley Brains" and brilliant code breakers working around the clock to crack enemy codes that could save lives, and ultimately win the allies the war. It was a real place filled with silent heroes that, until now, we were not privy to.

The most famous actual resident of Bletchley Park was the infamous mathematician genius Alan Turing (also considered the father of computers that even inspired Apple computer's logo with his morbid suicide from an arsenic laced apple), but he's not a part of this particular bit of history mixed with romanticism- "he would have required an entire other film" director Michael Apted informed.

In Enigma we meet a fictitious brilliant mathematician fellow named Tom Jericho (handsome mankabob Dougray Scott -pronounced doog-ray). Tom's a bit of a loon, yet still a Bletchley Park hero. This is his tale...

He's recently back from a mental "rest." Of course why would they let a code breaker with a loose noggin back is your first question? Well, simply, he's the best there is at craker jack code crackin' . Tom has broken the nefarious Enigma Shark machine's code once already, and the nasty Krauts have managed to change the code yet again, sending the Allies into communication hell. They need someone with his brilliance now more than ever, to do it again—urgently. There's a large convoy of supplies heading across the Atlantic via cargo ships and without the positions of the dreaded U-Boats available only through this code machine, they are sitting ducks; multiple Titanics with heat seeking icebergs!

But, poor Tom's got more on his beautiful mind than just jumbled letters and numbers. He's been bitten firmly on the arse by the smit bug over a coworker named Claire (stunning beauty Saffron -Rosemary and Thyme- Burrows). Tom ventures over to reunite with her at her lovely cottage only to find her bookish her stoutly roommate Hester (Kate- preggo during filming-Winslet). Hester tells Tom Claire's simply disappeared. Oh, but she's left all these secret code documents she stole from Bletchley behind…

Oh dear! Is the one woman Tom was able to decipher a filthy spy? Hester and Tom must, somehow, get to the bottom of this nefarious mystery.

As they come closer to discovering Claire's truths, it becomes apparent something other than the daily secrets of war is a foot in their small shire…

There's nothing sexier than spy stuff. Oh, right spy stuff set in the forties and British accents thrown in! Yum!

This Dougray Scott, no matter how odd his adorable manly name is, a pleasure (in more ways than one) to watch. He's all stern and formal in this like a budding Ralph Fiennes. One gets that same urge to dip him in Magic Shell™ quick hardening candy topping, and nibble off the sticky dessert slowly till he's all cleaned up!

Kate Winslet is just a frank honest little actor and cares not for the frilly flattering look so many stars require before they adorn the lens. And here, true to her Hester character, she appears frumpy with exponents.

Wonderful Jeremy Northam, who looks like he's stepped from a time machine out of this era, plays a snooty sneaky government guy with a snooty sneaky name, Wigram. This chap's also quite the looker. A Sheppard's Pie of a man...layers of delectable tasty bits for your perusal!

With all the sexy RAF uniform clad men and 1940's style suits up on the screen Enigma is a bit of a man festival for the retina gals! Truly scrumptious.

Enigma is a thinking film, with just enough romance and suspenseful thrills to lighten the cerebral load. It's a British film in the highest sense of the word. Enjoy!

Snack recommendation: Crumpets and tea, of course dear.

Enigma is based on Robert Harris' best seller.

© Blunt Review - 19/April/2002