15 Most Controversial Movies Of 2014

14. The Imitation Game "Downplays" Alan Turing's Homosexuality

Any movie depicting the life and times of mathematician Alan Turing was bound to be controversial, if only because it was extremely likely that he'd end up being played by a heterosexual actor, which many (albeit misguidedly) believe to be an affront in of itself. Still, before The Imitation Game even came out, there were persistent murmurs that the movie was going to downplay Turing's homosexuality in order to appeal to a wider audience and not "put them off". While the movie paints him as shy and retiring, the real-life Turing was reportedly quite open and eager to come onto men. In addition, the movie has been accused of playing-up Turing's tenuous relationship with Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), devoting more screen time to it simply because it's heterosexual and more palatable to some audiences. Also, the frame narrative involving a detective investigating Turing's homosexuality has been completely invented for cinematic purposes. Still, does The Imitation Game capture the spirit of Turing's life and make a potent tribute to his legacy? Absolutely. It's far from a great film but it provides a welcome platform for Benedict Cumberbatch, even if it ultimately fell rather short of its initial major awards hopes. It's just a shame the movie wasn't more rigorous about reflecting the truth of the man's life.