Enigma Review
by Jon Popick (jpopick AT sick-boy DOT com)June 21st, 2002
Planet Sick-Boy: http://www.sick-boy.com
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There are three groups of people that might be interested in Enigma. Fans of U-571 will find this film something of a sequel. People who liked Windtalkers might dig the similar theme of cracking codes during World War II. And if you were mesmerized by Michael Apted's direction of J. Lo in Enough, you might want to see what else the crafty ol' Brit has on his plate
In reality, Enigma is something else entirely: an art house film full of art house stars that proceeds at a leaden pace, at least compared to the films above. Dougray Scott (M:I-2) plays Jericho, a John Forbes Nash-like super-genius who, using the "enigma" machine captured in U-571, successfully cracked the Nazi codes, then had a John Forbes Nash-like breakdown. As Enigma starts, those pesky Germans have changed their code, and British intelligence has ordered the still-sweaty Jericho to get crackin' once again.
So you've got the code-breaking thing, but Jericho is also searching for an old flame (Saffron Burrows, Timecode) who caused his meltdown and might have answers about the new German code. Together with the bookish, Harry Potter-spectacled Hester (Kate Winslet, Iris), Jericho attempts to evade secret service agent Wigram (Jeremy Northam, Gosford Park) while trying to accomplish some pretty difficult feats. It's fun, but the code-talk will fly right over everyone's head.
1:57 - R for a sex scene and language
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