The Imitation Game was a prime example of an entertaining cinematic endeavour that made maths sexy. Bearing a similar narrative to that of Matt Brown’s The Man Who Knew Infinity, we candidly explored the life of an outsider, using maths as a means of establishing himself and making a difference to the world. Except the aforementioned, Oscar nominated feature adopted tropes of the thriller genre, adding suspense to what is otherwise a somewhat inaccessible narrative. Brown’s attempt, however, struggles in that area. We don’t care about the numbers, we care about the characters, and this feature focuses a little too much on the former.
Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) grew up in humble surroundings, in Madras, India – where his breathtaking aptitude for mathematical equations went largely unnoticed. But then when put forward for a scholarship at Cambridge University, he leaves behind his adoring wife Janaki (Devika Bhise) to collaborate with the esteemed professor G.H Hardy in the UK (Jeremy Irons), and have his findings published. Though confident and assured in his ability, Ramanujan is pushed to the limit, asked to prove all of his equations and not work strictly on instinct – and if he can do so, he could be about to revolutionise mathematics, while juggling such pressure with the ongoing terror of the Second World War.
While there is a lust for more drama to this complex narrative, at the same time Brown can be accused of deviating carelessly from the notion of subtlety, with a handful of one-liners implemented as though solely for trailer purposes. While Ramanujan is lauded for his profound and invincible sense of originality as a mathematician, ironically that’s exactly what this title is distinctly devoid of, simply failing to transcend the typical fare associated to this somewhat undemanding, ripe-for-TV drama.
Nonetheless, Patel turns in a more than accomplished display, and we fully believe in his ability to be so resourceful and discerning. After all, it’s not the first time he’s portrayed a role that has defied the odds given his social standing and let his sheer intellectualism prevail. He has a palpable rapport with the ever-impressive Irons too, in what is a well-judged and believable friendship between the pair.
However it’s one of so many contributing themes that Brown attempts to juggle, with several sub-stories at play. Not only the relationship between the protagonists, but Ramanujan’s seemingly failing marriage, the disturbing prejudice he faces from the English and the ongoing barbarity of the war. We don’t truly focus on any one theme substantially enough, and as such find ourselves compromising them all.
