This year's race for best actor is setting up to be an epic battle between two very dashing Brits. Yesterday, we showed you the trailer for The Theory of Everything, featuring an unrecognizable Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking. While the awards cognoscenti have been quick to anoint Redmayne as the prohibitive favorite come Oscar night, it looks like Benedict Cumberbatch might have something to say about that.
The movie is The Imitation Game, a pulsating espionage thriller in which Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician whose proficiency in cracking codes was instrumental in helping the Allies defeat the Nazis in WWII. Despite his heroism, Turing was later prosecuted by the U.K. government for being gay during an intolerant era. Keira Knightley also stars as the only female member of Turing's ragtag team of code breakers.
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Both The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything have all the ingredients that make the Academy foam at the mouth. Well-crafted British period piece? Check. Of-the-moment cast members featuring career-making performances? Check. Compelling stories about tortured geniuses who'll stop at nothing for what they believe in? Check.
This one will be a race for the ages. The Imitation Game hits theaters November 21. Watch the brand new trailer below.