Steve Jobs Movie Review

Released: October 9th 2015 (United States)

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogan, and Jeff Daniels

Length: 122 Minutes

Genre: Biography

Steve Jobs; we knew him as the CEO of Apple, others referred to him as the “billion dollar hippy”. No matter which way you look at it, the man left an indelible mark on the computing industry. His exploits in this area are the subject of Danny Boyle’s latest film, a whole hearted and detailed recount of the major points of Job’s life and work.

Steve Jobs begins in 1984 with the rapidly approaching launch of the Apple Macintosh; we’re thrown straight into the thick of things as the young Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) grapples with family matters, rants over a piece in TIME magazine and also runs through the then complex task of getting the product to say “Hello”. The film’s three act structure is immediately apparent, flashing through the key areas of Job’s product presentations through the use of typography and backgrounds. As the times change, so too do the characters and this is shown through various changes of costuming, technology and make-up. The events of the film are layered so fluidly that we as an audience are also given a strong picture of just how cut-throat the computer business really is; the pressure to deliver and reach success has a telling effect on Jobs and we see the detrimental effect this has on his friends and colleagues. The film also makes an effective use of stock footage from news reports to weave in the events that occurred between each act, ensuring that the narrative remains coherent and on point. There’s rarely a moment where Jobs isn’t running back and forth, trying to fix three or four problems at once and this is what keeps the audience engaged throughout, despite the film being mainly dialogue focused. The only issue I had was the ending; there is a feeling of reconciliation, but I feel it could have been more impactful with more time dedicated to it.

With a film so heavily focused on characterisation and conversation, the actors all do a very convincing job in their roles. Michael Fassbender is fantastic as the titular Steve Jobs; the film makes a point of concentrating on his flawed points and this brings a range of emotions and tones into play. Jobs is practically obsessed with making his product work and sell, yet behind closed doors he is incredibly reluctant to deal with and admit to his girlfriend and supposed daughter. He never gives up on his vision, but he also enters a great deal of verbal conflict with his peers. At Job’s side is his marketing executive Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet); she behaves just like you would expect a marketer to, but Winslet creates a sense of growing frustration as she desperately attempts to convince Steve to make the right decisions. The same holds true for Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) who makes his irritations felt with Job’s refusal to acknowledge him and his team. The last piece of the main cast is Jeff Daniels as John Sculley, a father figure to Steve; his confrontations are particularly heated which conveys his status and position as the then CEO of Apple. If there’s one gripe to the characters it’s that some of them don’t really get much in the way of closure; we don’t learn what happens to Wozniak or Steve’s ex-girlfriend and that’s a bit disappointing considering the role they played in the plot.

While the ending feels quite rushed and some of the characters could have had better conclusions, Steve Jobs is another great effort from both Michael Fassbender and Danny Boyle; it puts us into the shoes of the innovator, seamlessly blending his life and work together to form a highly intriguing and worthwhile biography.

Rating: 4/5 Stars