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
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