FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Enigma [DVD] [2001]

Enigma [DVD] [2001]
enlarge	Director: Michael Apted Actors: Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Saffron Burrows, Jeremy Northam, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Category: DVD List Price: ~~£15.99~~ Buy New: £2.97 as of 23/11/2009 04:03 GMT details You Save: £13.02 (81%) New (12) Used (11) from £2.23 Seller: selectcheaper Rating: 17 reviews Sales Rank: 4710 Format: PAL Languages: English (Original Language), German (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 114 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5017188885058 ASIN: B00006AFGO Theatrical Release Date: January 24, 2002 Release Date: May 1, 2007 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Codebreaking is an inherently fascinating but not especially cinematic endeavour, which is why IEnigma/I spices up the true story of Bletchley Park and its eclectic group of Nazi code-cracking geniuses with some fictional romance and intrigue. Dougray Scott plays gaunt mathematician Tom Jericho, haunted by the spectre of his missing girlfriend Claire (self-consciously gorgeous Saffron Burrows). Tom turns to Claire's frumpy housemate Hester Wallace (dressed-down Kate Winslet) to help him find her, but their search unexpectedly reveals the presence of a spy at Bletchley Park. Matters are further complicated by an investigating secret service agent (imperturbable Jeremy Northam) and the hostility of Jericho's superiors.p Based on the novel by Robert Harris and adapted for the screen by Tom Stoppard, IEnigma/I is unsurprisingly a literate and accomplished piece, unfussily directed by Michael Apted who keeps the various current and flashback story threads moving neatly in parallel, helped along by a languid score from veteran John Barry and a vividly realised wartime setting ("Have you heard the latest? Utility knickers--one yank and they're off!"). The contrived plot, however, distracts from the real drama, which is to be found in the desperate struggle to decipher the Enigma machine codes and the sometimes terrible ethical dilemmas involved. A little like that other Kate Winslet film, ITitanic/I, this is another example of the factual background being far more compelling than the fiction grafted on top. p BOn the DVD:/B IEngima/I arrives on disc in an extras-free package, with only scene selection and subtitles. More than one excellent documentary has been made about Alan Turing and his team of Bletchley Park codebreakers, so it's doubly disappointing to have nothing here on the real-life events depicted in the movie. Picture is widescreen 1.78:1 and sound Dolby 5.1 surround.--IMark Walker/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 1 2 3 4 Next » Smart thriller that weaves historical fact into suspenseful fiction April 25, 2006 Darren Harrison (Washington D.C.) 12 out of 14 found this review helpful Anyone who has watched World War II documentaries on the HISTORY cable channel will recognize the name Bletchley Park. And the title Enigma will induce images of that strange looking typewriter that caused so many problems for Allied code-breakers. The operation lay classified for 30 years and also led to the world's first modern computer (which took up an entire room at the complex and had the appropriate title Colossus). This movie manages to make what would appear to be an incredibly dull subject (a fact the director freely admits in an accompanying documentary) of code-breaking, interesting by giving us a colorful array of characters. On parade here is the obsessed mathematician Thomas Jericho (played by Dougray Scott) to the mousy Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet), the seductive Claire (Saffron Burrows) and the mysterious secret agent Wigram (Jeremy Northam). The movie's pace is also helped by an interesting mystery that ties in an actual fact from World War II (that lay shrouded in mystery until 1990) and a race against time to break a code before a critical shipping convoy can be ambushed in the mid-Atlantic. br /Really the plot here is first-rate. I would go into detail here except I do not want to spoil it for the viewer. There is a clear cause and effect and everything you think might just be a subplot or an unexplained thread in the plot is all tied up and explained by the end of the movie. Even something as unrelated as why the German's have chosen to change the settings on Enigma at that time is explained. br /The movie opens to find Jericho arriving back at Bletchley Park. He had previously been there as a code-breaker who had gained notoriety as the man who had broken the Enigma code, but had been relieved of duty after suffering a mental breakdown over Saffron Burrows's character. He is back at the Park following a change in the Enigma settings by the Germans. br /He arrives to find Claire missing and some open hostility towards him by the director of the center. Teaming up with Winslet's character he embarks on a quest to discover the truth behind Claire's disappearance, a mission that will take up across the UK countryside and into direct conflict with Northam's secret agent, who is on the trail of a traitor at the Park. br /And all the while the convoy steams across the Atlantic towards the waiting German U-boats. br /The movie might be a little slow for some. There is no big gun battle or hordes of armies clashing with each other, even the car chase seems a rather mundane affair (as Jericho and Hester attempt to outrace the authorities) as opposed to the more flashy Hollywood chases. But its in tune with the general mood and does not detract from the complex plot of the movie. br /Expertly crafted by Mchael Apted (who directed the James Bond movie THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH) and written by acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard (based on a novel by Robert Harris) this movie is a treat for thriller fans that does not insult ones intellgence. But instead ratchets up the suspense in an enjoyable cocktail of espionage, love, action, suspense and dramatic tension. An enjoyable story set around Bletchley Park in WW2 October 28, 2008 P. Andrews (United Kingdom) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful If I had wanted a documentary about Bletchley Park during WW2, I would have bought one of several good titles available, or a DVD if there was one. br / br /Want I wanted, and got, was a really good fictional account set around the code breaking activities of that centre. The story is loosely based on real characters and events, but it is a STORY, and a very enjoyably told and terrifically acted one. I like all the actors, they work well together. The story is plausible, but I'm not interested in 'is this or that detail correct', I just want a good hour or two of entertainment set in the period of WW2, around that unique institution, and I was well satisfied. br / br /I cannot understand why people have to nitpick. Its not as if anyone is deliberately setting out to 'distort history'; there's no harm in giving a little fictional leeway here and there. The main thrust of the story is sound, and enjoyably told, so 5 stars. A war time story of love and intrigue! October 11, 2003 5 out of 13 found this review helpful This film kept my attention all the way through with its fast-paced action and excellent acting. Dougray Scott plays his part magnificently, a hero getting over one nervous breakdown and seemingly on the edge of another. On the other side of the scale, we have the supercool Cave, the Naval expert, constantly aware of what is happening out in the Atlantic, having served time aboard ship himself. Matthew MacFadyen is wholly believable in this part and does look great in uniform!! If you haven't seen this - watch it! Pacey Wartime Drama Based Around Bletchley Park "Station-X" September 29, 2009 Martyn Davies This fictional work is based around Bletchley Park, the WWII code breaking site, (codenamed "Station X"), and follows a code breaker/boffin as he unravels a double mystery involving a missing girl and secret messages about a mass grave in occupied Europe. Boffin "Tom Jericho" (Dougray Scott) is a kind of Alan Turing figure, though re-oriented sexually for the film to allow for the two female "love-interest" characters. Nicely scripted, with good performances from Dougray Scott (although his Mancs accent slips around a bit), Jeremy Northam and Matthew Macfadyen. An Enigmatic film experience. August 10, 2002 60 out of 64 found this review helpful Enigma is a fantastic film from acclaimed director Michael Apted. Featuring Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet and Jeremy Northam, it is based on Robert Harris' book of the same name. The story is set in England during World War II and focuses on the efforts of British cryptanalysts who worked tirelessly throughout the war to break German codes and ciphers. The Germans believed that the messages encrypted on their Enigma machines were indecipherable. Tom Jericho (Scott) is one of the cryptanalysts working at Bletchley Park, the code-breaking centre of England. He is recovering from a nervous breakdown following a relationship break-up and due to the stress of his job. Having broken the Enigma codes before he returns to Bletchley to help break a new and more sophisticated German U-Boat code, only to discover that his ex-lover Claire (Saffron Burrows) has disappeared. Enlisting the help of her room-mate Hester (Winslet), Jericho sets out to find her. Meanwhile, Bletchley Park is under the surveillance of Agent Wigram (Northam), searching for a double-agent at Bletchley, determined to incriminate the missing Claire and the love-sick Jericho. Throw in a dramatic stand-off between German U-Boats, American cargo ships and the harried Bletchley cryptanalysts, as well as a car chase and a love triangle, and Engima provides an exciting 119 minutes of viewing pleasure!pKate Winslet gives a strong and assured performance, allowing Hester to add some 'Girl Power' to the largely 'Boys-Own' adventure. Dougray Scott looks suitably gaunt and worn-out as Jericho, Saffron Burrows is perfectly cast as the beautiful and enigmatic Claire and Jeremy Northam is wonderfully suave, sophisticated and cold as the ruthless government agent. pThe DVD contains special features such as interviews with the cast and a 'Making-of' featurette. Shots of raw, behind-the-scenes footage give you a chance to see how several of the shots in the movie were filmed, as well as an extended observation of Mick Jagger (co-Producer) as a night club extra! The behind-the-scenes footage is fantastic. I especially enjoyed hearing the actors discuss their characters and the history of Bletchley Park and its inhabitants. One problem with the Special Features on this disc is that the raw footage seems out of context. It just shows one scene being shot, then another, then another ad-infinitum. It would've been nice to have had Apted or the cinematographer give us some kind of commentary to give an insight into the filming process. Likewise, the film itself has no commentary track. Having heard Northam's insights into his performance on The Winslow Boy DVD commentary, this is a pity. pWatching Enigma, I felt like I had been magically transported back into England of the 1940s, living the life of a Bletchley Park cryptanalyst. I didn't want to leave the world Michael Apted and his cast and crew had created, which is surely the sign of a great film. Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 1 2 3 4 Next »

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