Review: Steve Jobs (2015)

After the abysmal Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher it was evident that we needed a movie about Steve Jobs that did justice to the legacy of the great tech pioneer. And so comes Steve Jobs, based on the book by Walter Isaacson, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle with Michael Fassbender playing Jobs. This is a movie that most certainly does justice to the legacy of the Apple founder.

Set backstage at three iconic product launches, starting with the unveiling of the Macintosh in 1984 and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs aims to break biopic conventions by focusing on the most important moments of Job’s life instead of his whole life, and the result is a film that while may play fast and loose with the facts, is nonetheless an intelligent, entertaining and thoroughly engaging look behind-the-scenes of and inside the life of Steve Jobs.

But while there are many things to like about this film, Aaron Sorkin’s marvelously scripted screenplay is undoubtedly the main attraction. The snappy, spit-fire dialogue, combined with superb character development makes the film move like a bullet and never and I mean never, was I slightest bit bored. Sorkin did an amazing job with The Social Network which got him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, don’t be surprised if he wins again.

Now Danny Boyle is an incredibly versatile director which is both a good and a bad thing because while he is a great filmmaker you don’t always know if you’re watching a Danny Boyle film and in Steve Job’s case, the film feels like more a Sorkin film that a Boyle one, but that isn’t to say Boyle doesn’t do a great job at the helm. He does. His choice to film the three different acts of the movie in 16mm, 35mm and digital are one of the great filmmaking choices he made on the film and as a result, all three acts have a uniquely distinct feel.

And at the film’s center is Michael Fassbender, who gives what is unquestionably the best performance of his career thus far, one of the best of the year. Even though, Fassbender looks nothing like Jobs, he’s able to pull off a convincing and commanding turn as the Apple founder in a performance that is both masterfully composed and layered. And complimenting him are a trio of great supporting performances from Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen and Kate Wintslet as John Scully, Steve Wozniak and Joanna Newson respectively. All of whom bring great depth to their real life subjects.

Steve Jobs is the rare biopic that isn’t tedious to watch and much more than just a history lesson. It offers a fascinating and compelling look at one of the most influential and important personalities of our times thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant screenplay and a deeply humanizing portrayal of Jobs by Michael Fassbender.

8.9/10

-Khalid