6. The Imitation Game
Benedict Cumberbatch’s last starring vehicle, WikiLeaks biopic The Fifth Estate, was a non-starter with critics and audiences alike, but that’s no reason to count out this fall’s The Imitation Game, which stars Cumberbatch as embattled British mathematician and WWII code-breaker Alan Turing. The movie focuses on Turing’s life from his days unraveling Nazi codes for the British government to his persecution for the then-illegal act of homosexuality.
Helping the film’s Oscar prospects will be an excellent supporting cast, which includes Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong and Charles Dance, as well as the lobbying of Harvey Weinstein, who picked up the film at the European Film Market, paying $7 million to trump five other studios, the highest recorded for a deal at that market. Expect him to really push this one in the fall.
Cumberbatch will be a dark horse in the Best Actor race, and Weinstein’s lobbying might just land him a nomination. Everything else is less certain, though if the film is as good as initial reports suggest, Graham Moore’s screenplay could easily score a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay and the film could be in contention for Best Picture. Knightley also stands a chance in Best Supporting Actress, as might Dance for Best Supporting Actor.
The Imitation Game opens November 21st.