Enigma

SYNOPSIS

Acting as an antidote to the Hollywood heroism of U-571, in which a German code machine is recovered by the US Navy during the Second World War, this romantic thriller (based on the Robert Harris novel) concentrates on the quiet, bookish pluck of our own code breakers at Bletchley Park. Dougray Scott plays the fragile but brilliant Tom Jericho, back at his desk after a nervous breakdown and drawn into a race against time to crack the latest German cipher. He also suspects that the girl he has become infatuated with (Saffron Burrows) is a spy. This well-acted tale of wartime intrigue has Kate Winslet looking suitably dowdy in a supporting role, while Jeremy Northam steals the show as a pompous secret serviceman. The film is commendable for the intelligence it assumes on the part of the audience, but the effect is spoiled somewhat by a superfluous high-adventure ending that seems out of synch with the rest of the movie.