Disclaimer: Since “The Imitation Game” is based on real events and characters, certain plot elements that may be considered as minor/major spoilers will be discussed in this review.

“The Imitation Game” is clouded with several mysteries, but Benedict Cumberbatch’s prodigious performance as the enigmatic Alan Turing isn’t one of them. Accompanied by a captivating plot and brisk writing, the film comfortably finds itself as one of the top players for awards season.

Although director Morten Tyldum sports a fairly quiet, yet impressive, filmography (“Headhunters” and “Buddy”), his firm direction helps bring out the best work from his cast and crew.

Tyldum’s World War II thriller jumps between three essential periods in the technological pioneer’s life — his teenage years at boarding school, his time at Bletchley Park and his life after the break-in of his Manchester home in 1952.

The prologue wastes no time fabricating the cryptic atmosphere of the film when the question “Are you paying attention?” resonates in the perfectly deep timbre of Cumberbatch’s voice — seriously, the actor’s iconic voice alone carries great credibility — in its early moments.

After briefly opening with the investigation regarding Turing’s break-in, the cryptanalyst is then joined by Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode), John Cairncross (Allen Lejech) and a few other great minds to help win World War II by cracking the codes produced by Germany’s Enigma machine.

“Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one imagines.” Often identifying itself as the chorus of Moore’s delicately written script, this intonation serves as an inspirational and applicable rally cry not just for the feature’s characters but for anyone battling the ideals set by mainstream culture.

The mantra more obviously works in tandem with Turing’s unfriendly sarcasm, but also with the codebreaker’s own enigma.

In the scenes following the burglary of Turing’s Manchester home in 1952, Detective Robert Nock (played by Rory Kinnear) suspects Turing of being a Soviet spy. During the investigation Nock instead accidentally exposes Turing’s homosexuality in a Cold War climate full of homophobia and paranoia.

While its acceptance has indeed progressed in today’s more moderately welcoming culture, England’s ruthless behavior against homosexuality accuses Turing of “gross indecency.”

As a result, Turing has a choice between time in prison and chemically induced castration to supposedly heal him from his “disorder.” Turing chooses the latter, and the side effects displayed on-screen — as well as Cumberbatch’s heartbreaking performance — make for a very poignant final act that’ll hit hard at home with many viewers.

Once the credits roll, it’s impossible not to consider Cumberbatch’s heartrending performance worthy of nomination. The actor carries his well-received experience as the titular detective in BBC’s “Sherlock” with him to meticulously imitate Turing’s impassive sarcasm.

An early scene involving Turing and Commander Denniston (played by the assertive Charles Dance) perfectly exhibits the snide remarks and banter Moore’s screenplay is full of.

However, despite the confidence, Turing has this certain vulnerability that Cumberbatch has no problem mimicking. Along with the extraordinary help from the young actor Alex Lawther (he plays Turing’s younger counterpart), Cumberbatch is able to create such vivid depiction of Alan Turing while simultaneously being perfectly obscure with his secrets.

Moore’s script will most likely be nominated for several awards — it’s already been nominated for a Golden Globe. However, the aforementioned time jumps between each era — most notably between the forties and post-war sequences — become a bit muddling.

It doesn’t end up becoming too much of a problem, because once viewers familiarize themselves with the intended pacing and narrative structure, the thrills seem to be endless.

With Cumberbatch’s career-best performance, Tyldum’s steady direction and Moore’s smart writing, “The Imitation Game” succeeds in more ways than one.

What’s most respectable about their cinematic take on Alan Turing is that it’s able to touch the hearts of viewers without capitalizing on grief — ultimately serving as the perfect showcase for the crew’s talent and lifetime achievements of its real-life subject.