TIFF 2014 Report - The Imitation Game

So, first off, I’ve never done TIFF before. Total virgin newb. But the opportunity to see The Imitation Game (and possibly Benedict Cumberbatch was too much to pass up. I got to the rush line at 11:20am for a 6pm movie and was about the 8th person in line. I made friends and when the girl behind me ended up with a free ticket, she gave me her voucher for a free ticket (score number one). At about 5pm, they shut the street down and my hubby, bless him, saved my place while I dashed over to the red carpet. Normally I wouldn’t have been able to see much, but Benedict is such a sweetheart that he does the entire length of the red carpet. I didn’t get close enough for an autograph, but certainly close enough to see how utterly gorgeous he is.

We were able to get into the movie, and just let me say that it is breathtaking. Everyone’s performance was superb, but if Benedict doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for this I will be very surprised. It was a long day and we decided to head out right after the show. About 7 or 8 blocks from the theatre, driving home, we noticed that some fans had run up to the car beside us during a red light. We rolled down our window and sure enough, I could hear that lovely voice. Once the fans had left, I leaned over and told Ben how much we loved the film. I expected a polite “Oh, thanks so much” and a rolled up window, but I didn’t get it. Instead, he chatted with us for the whole length of the light talking about how overwhelmed he had been by the positive response and how he had been nervous about the premiere. Once the light changed, his driver pulled off, and he leaned out the window and gave us a wave goodbye. I don’t think I’ve ever met such a sweet and engaging man, never mind a celebrity.