neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Enigma
	Michael Apted Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam, Saffron Burrows 2001		Serious talents came together to make "Enigma," an aspiring, what-next potpourri of historical drama, spy story and romance, inspired by the British code-breaking unit at Bletchley Park that unraveled secret Nazi transmissions during World War II. Tom Stoppard ("Shakespeare in Love") wrote the script. Michael Apted (the award-winning "7 Up" documentary series) was the director. An agile cast was assembled. But their efforts didn't quite crystallize. Dougray Scott stars as Tom Jericho, an emotionally damaged genius who is the Allies' best hope to decipher a flurry of potentially lethal German messages. Saffron Burrows is Claire, a beauty who works at the same top-secret installation as Tom and drives him mad with desire. Kate Winslet ("Iris") is Hester, Claire's roommate and Tom's partner-in-code-breaking. And Jeremy Northam ("Gosford Park") is the English agent who hectors Tom while trying to unearth a traitor at the Park. Any factual history is buried under histrionic kicks and vehemence.