Film Review: Steve Jobs
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There’s a type of kinetic energy that can only be harnessed in films when the writing is sharp, the direction and camera work crisp, and the acting on point. This energy is then embraced by the audience and turned into claps and exclamations both loud and not. After seeing a film like Steve Jobs, you certainly won’t be bereft of having a reaction, and if you’re like me, you’ll recognize that this is a special type of picture.
Now this isn’t to say that Steve Jobs is a perfect film (it’s not) but its definitely special. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin pours all of his considerable talent into crafting one of the more unique biopics you’ll see. This is a movie that covers a large range of time, but only in chunks, with each of the 3 acts taking place during a product launch. It’s definitely an inspired choice, one that helps elevate the movie, making the proceedings exceedingly interesting. It also enables Sorkin to write whip smart dialogue at an incredible pace, which in turn allows the actors to give incredible performances. But, this also allows for some issues to arise. Many of Aaron Sorkin’s character archetypes are on display even as the players change and the structure doesn’t allow for them to be anything but, vividly acted though they may be. The biggest problem with the movie is that the structure seeks to be both classical and new, but can’t really be both. The film for me didn’t settle in until John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) and Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) have their big fight (my vote for best scene in the film). That’s because while the first act is a thrilling exercise and has some emotional stakes, its requirements of you are so large that it struggles to live up to that. Particularly with the subplot of Steve Jobs and his denying of his daughter, the movie presents quite the moral dilemma but the why of why Steve did it is never hinted at or communicated clearly, yet it has a nice bow.
These are problems that might plague most movies but this one manages to overcome them because of how much Danny Boyle directs the film. The camera is constantly moving and the performances are so lockstep with the script, and that’s by virtue of the Oscar winner at the helm.
Speaking of performances, man, does this film contain a litany of wonderful ones. In limited roles, Michael Stuhlberg and Katherine Waterston give emotionally resonant turns that haunt you even when the film ends. My vote for MVP of the film was Jeff Daniels, who plays a man that history remembers as the man who fired Steve Jobs, but gets a much more sympathetic and fiery place in history thanks to Daniels. Getting to hear Kate Winslet tackle Sorkin dialogue is one of the treats of the year and she just finds new and interesting wrinkles in a character that could have read so one note. And Fassbender, well, we’ve seen his rise to fame, and what a performance to add to that. He’s magnetic on the screen despite not looking much like Steve Jobs. It’s a total star turn, relying on his choices and nuance to keep us going, given he’s on screen for every scene.
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