Movie Review: 'Steve Jobs'
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen
Plot: We encounter the icon of computer technology at three significant landmarks of his career - the launches of the Macintosh, the NeXT Black Cube and the iMac - as he struggles to reconcile his role in the world.
Review: Wait, didn't we already get a movie about Steve Jobs? This one doesn't have Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad in it, does it? No? OK, let's give it a go. Actually, with Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet in the main roles this already gets my attention. Throw in director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin and you've got a potential winner. I was, however, surprised to find out this movie had already come out. In spite of the names involved it received no fanfare down here in Australia and seems to have been yanked from US cinemas early, falling short of recouping its modest budget.
This is a real shame, because it's a damn good film.
Rather than build a standard biopic or straight up idolise Jobs the movie focuses on the figure espousing his personal philosophy, pushing the role of his technologies and struggling to take on the role of a father. At times it feels like a negative portrayal of Jobs, but it comes full circle when he is both humbled and vindicated in the closing act. The script and movie has provided keyhole looks into a complex man and the way he changed the world. The restricted focus on the hour leading up to each of the product launches is an original approach to material and a great hook for the viewer.
Performances from each of the leads is exceptional. Steve Jobs was a very public figure and his physicality and speech patterns are familiar to audiences. Fassbender does a brilliant job of replicating his movements and manner in spite of not bearing a strong resemblance to Jobs. Winslet is on form as usual and although it's a smaller role, Seth Rogen brings a lot of emotion to the character of Woz. All of the cast avoid turning the characters into cartoon characters by over playing the mannerisms and accents of the characters. If the previous biopic wasn't already embarrassing, it would be now.
It's a shame that this movie has flown under the radar because it's well worth the time. Not just for the brilliant style and performances but the examination of a figure who has became almost mythological in the modern era.
