Steve Jobs
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston, Michael Stuhlbarg
Running Time: 122 Mins
Country: US
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]anny Boyle’s first biopic about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs(Michael Fassbender) lacks a gripping story, but is compensated for by its excellent character inspection of one of greatest innovators of the 20th century. Portraying Jobs as a man more in love with technology and his inventions than his own daughter, the film takes a look behind the curtain to show a hectic world in stark contrast to the slick and stylish presentation of the Apple brand, mirroring the juxtaposition of the public perception of Jobs and his depiction on the screen.
Image: UPI Media
The plot centres on the immediately preceding events of three separate product launches: the apple macintosh, the NeXT Computer and the iMac. Conveniently anyone who has a problem with Jobs put their hang ups on hold for several years until confronting him minutes before he is due on stage. Whilst Jobs himself always remains the focus in these interactions, his character is revealed through the six people who have the biggest bones to pick: Joanna Hoffman(Kate Winslet), Steve Wozniak(Seth Rogen), John Sculley (Jeff Daniels), Andy Hertzfeld(Michael Stuhlbarg), Chrisann Brennan(Katherine Waterston) and Lisa Brennan(Makenzie Moss, Ripley Sobo, Perla Haney-Jardine) his daughter. This does leave these characters playing second fiddle to Jobs and at points they feel distinctly two dimensional, in particular Wozniak who appears three times, goes on about Apple II being acknowledged, and then leaves. That’s it. And of course Apple II is never acknowledged.
In fact Jobs doesn’t really do anything for anyone else throughout. Whether it’s threatening co-workers, hatching masterplans, or refusing to support his daughter, he’s generally not very nice. He struggles to form anything resembling a relationship with anyone outside of his own world. There are several occasions in which his only way of connecting with Lisa is to talk about Apple products or music that he likes. Despite all of this, in the third act a surprising U-turn occurs. Suddenly everyone starts to like him. Out of nowhere. It’s as if everything is forgiven because the imac is going to sell well. Whooping and cheering greet him from the stage as his previous foes look on in awe and admiration. All of this seemed noticeably at odds with the rest of the film and was quite jarring.
Image: UPI Media
It’s been two days since I saw the film and I still haven’t decided whether or not I like the guy, and more importantly whether or not the film wants us to like him
And yet the film is worthy of acclaim. Largely this is due to the strength of the central character and Fassbender’s performance, which is excellent. Watching a man trying to change the world in the face of adversity, succeeding, and then seeing how he has developed as a result is incredibly compelling. Plus, seeing all of this happen while simultaneously trying to figure out your own opinion of him. It’s been two days since I saw the film and I still haven’t decided whether or not I like the guy, and more importantly whether or not the film wants us to like him. At times there was a clear effort to elicit empathy and at other times he was just a complete dick. Perhaps the meaning is less about our own opinion of Jobs and more concerned with the reconciliation of decency and greatness.
When I first heard that Aaron Sorkin had written a Steve Jobs biopic I was sceptical. Having previously written the social network, it seemed like a desperate attempt to repeat the formula. Unlikeable protagonist. Check. Lead actor who looks nothing like the character he is playing. Check. Witty and fast paced dialogue. Check. However, with its gritty take on the man himself and its chief performance, Steve Jobs has more than enough to be considered a success in its own right.
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