ENIGMA - TV Film Review 11/9/06

Having read Robert Harris's previous work "Fatherland" and seen the film I had also decided to read his "Enigma" novel (which I greatly enjoyed as fiction) and had wanted to get around to seeing the film version. With Michael Apted directing and a screenplay by Tom Stoppard I was in for a treat! So seeing it lined up for TV broadcast I stuck it on the hard drive to watch later. Don't get me wrong here - It was a well directed, well laid out film successfully evoking the whole period - But my was it tedious! As it slowly dragged itself through the scenes of the Enigma coding process during the latter phase of the Second World War - It just got duller and duller. Fine talent on show in good performances from Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet with Saffron Burrows and Jeremy Northam really couldn't save this turgid mess. Which is a real pity - As the real story of the Enigma Code/Machine had a drastic effect on the war effort and really fully deserves to be recognised from start to finish without a fictional stylised account that Robert Harris's novel gives us as well as this film. I would hunt down the true tale of the Enigma instead of watching this twaddle!


If you really must see this film it's available on both Region 1 (USA) [as below] and Region 2 (UK) DVD.