The WW2 Chinese spy thriller, “Decoded,” distinguishes itself with its unconventional portrayal of a tormented mathematician deciphering coded messages for the mainland army. Leading the story are noteworthy names: Liu Haoran, the reserved heartthrob who takes up an unusual role as Rong Jinzhen, the brilliant yet tremendously introverted codebreaker; and director Chen Sicheng, famed for his amusing mega-hit “Detective Chinatown” films. “Decoded” is an unhurried adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Mai Jia, where Chen and Liu together bid farewell to low-brow humor for a more solemn but less persuasive type of clichéd power fantasy.
Playing Jinzhen, Liu evokes Russell Crowe’s portrayal of schizophrenic mathematician John Nash in “A Beautiful Mind.” The comparison strengthens as Jinzhen inexorably descends into insanity while attempting to solve the Black Cipher, an almost unsolvable encryption key purposely devised to befuddle Jinzhen.
Liu’s portrayal is generally absorbing when he chooses to suggest insights into Jinzhen's character through soft-spoken dialogue and timid glances. However, his role gets overshadowed by the overly dramatic performance of co-star John Cusack. Dream sequences, which supposedly provide an understanding of Liu’s introverted protagonist, often serve to detract from the narrative.
Jinzhen’s dreams frequently insinuate unresolved tensions, indicated through portentous signs and clumsily executed computer graphics. Over time, Jinzhen’s dreams dominate his waking life, submerging “Decoded” into a familiar, albeit watchable case of a lone genius overcoming insurmountable challenges.
Jinzhen’s story is a sequence of passive events. He is initially found by a distant relative, thereafter drawing the attention of Professor Liesiwicz (Cusack), a passionate yet philosophical mathematics professor. Reluctantly, Jinzhen is forced to decode codes for a global government, but he accepts the challenge recalling the lessons imparted by Xiaolili.
Yet, Liu’s performance fails to spark excitement as a humanoid plot device. His character only responds to or acts upon the current problem he is facing. Despite the filmmaker's good efforts, not even the combined forces of Lloyd Dobler and the Fab Four successfully ignite any excitement in this cold, period drama.
