User reviews

Review: Everything that I have seen and heard about Steve Jobs, portrays him as an over controlling man with a bad attitude but you can't fault him for his amazing vision which has taken over the world. After his tragic death in 2011, at the age of 56, his company has still grown from strength to strength but his questionable methods and warped way of thinking, must have been difficult for the people around. Anyway, from an entertainment point of view, this film seemed very one toned and it felt like a group of conversations more than an deep insight behind the genius. The way that he talked to people and used vindictive tactics to get what he wanted, was truly horrible and he didn't really care about people's feelings. Even his daughter struggled to retain a decent relationship with Jobs but it was good to see that his trustee companion, Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), had the ability to bring him back to earth. Michael Fassbender played his role extremely well alongside Seth Rogen (Steve Wozniak) and Kate Winslet but the storyline seemed messy and I would have liked to have seen Steve Jobs, in his earlier years. I also would have liked to have seen real footage of the individuals that were in the movie and they should have shown how Apple has changed the world today. I still enjoyed watching how he built his company and the relationship between Jobs and his daughter, Lisa, who he disowned in her early years but I don't think that his amazing story has been portrayed with much depth to date. If I was his close friend or a part of his family, I wouldn't be happy with the way that these movies have portrayed Jobs, because none of them show his good side. Maybe he didn't have one! Anyway, it's a watchable movie but I was expecting more from this top class director. Watchable!

Round-Up: Although Fassbender didn't look anything like Steve Jobs, over the 14 year period that the movie portrays, he still brought enormous intensity to the character, who seemed quite scary to be around. The music throughout the movie, suited the mood that was set by the director, Danny Boyle, 59 but I didn't quite understand why the whole film is based backstage, before Jobs is going to release a new computer. You can tell that Boyle has taken the events from a book, because it seemed more like a play than a movie. What's quite fascinating about the film, is that it proves that Jobs actually wasn't the engineer behind the many devices that was released under the Apple name but it was his unique vision and determination to get what he wanted, which has proved to be EXTREMELY successful. I was hoping to get more from the movie but I personally think that I need to watch the many documentaries to find out more about the mind behind the Apple brand.

Budget: $30million Worldwide Gross: $35million

I recommend this movie to people who are into their biography/dramas starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg and Katherine Waterston. 6/10

This biopic of Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) centers on three product launches; Apple Macintosh in 1984, NeXT Computer in 1988, and iMac in 1998. Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet) is his ever-present right-hand man. John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) is his father figure and CEO of Apple. Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) is always vying for acknowledgment of the Apple II. Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) is the mother of Jobs' daughter Lisa. Reporter Joel Pforzheimer follows him throughout.

These are all very interesting performances. Fassbender, Winslet, and Daniels all deliver. Seth Rogen is surprisingly good in a non-comedic role. Waterston is terrific as the baby mama. There is no denying that Aaron Sorkin knows how to write unique dialog but it feels non-real. I believe that this would be one of the best movies of the year if it's about Stephen Jet. Sorkin has written some of the greatest work around like West Wing, Newsroom, and others. They all have a superior to reality feel. This is altered realism but I think everybody is more interested in the actual truth. There are some great scenes. There are big scenes. This is a perfect creation.

I remember when back in 2013 the Jobs movie came out. Everything about the film's trailer was "do not see". Still to this day the moment when Kutcher says "we're making Apple cool again" makes me laugh. Right from the start this film looked like they were going to do it right and I was anxiously waiting for it. And even though Steve Jobs wasn't everything I thought it would be it is still a quality drama.

Yet I can also see why it was not so commercially successful. It's weird format of taking place before three computer unveilings and the film essentially consisting of conversations with limited action between them. It is by no means a biography of the man's entire life but it does paint a portrait which, like any picture, only reveals some aspects of the person.

The film has a great cast who give solid performances. Michael Fassbender creates a character whose tyrannical and devilish behaviour you want to keep watching while longing for a glimpse of the human side.

Overall Steve Jobs is a very watchable and engaging film, provided you are already into end of the year Oscar bait drama films.

Steve Jobs (2015)

*** (out of 4)

Excellent performances highlight this wonderfully written and masterfully directed bio of Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender), a genius who changed the world even though he was unable to see what damage he was doing to those closest to him.

Danny Boyle's direction is spot-on in regards to being able to bring Aaron Sorkin's words to life. As I said, on a technical level the film is a marvel and you're also going to witness one of the greatest performances of the year but at the same time there was just something that didn't sit right. I'm honestly not sure what it was but there was something here that prevented the movie from being what I'd consider great.

I really loved Sorkin's screenplay and especially the dialogue. There's a lot of "intelligent" stuff being talked about and I liked the fact that they really didn't dumb anything down or try to make the film appeal to more mainstream crowds. I really thought the film broke down into four thirty-minute short films with each of them based around a various launch. Each launch also deals with the same thing and that's to show that Jobs really wasn't a very likable guy. Whether it was not being a good father or not being good to the mother of his child, the film doesn't hold back any punches. In fact, STEVE JOBS main goal appears to show how flawed the man was.

The greatest thing about the film is without question the performance from Fassbender. This role was rumored to be with many different actors but Fassbender certainly makes it his own and there's not a single second where you're seeing an actor doing a performance. Even though he doesn't look like Jobs the actor certainly becomes the character and makes you believe everything you're seeing. Kate Winslet is also wonderful in her head-to-head battles with Jobs and I thought her and Fassbender were excellent playing off one another. Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels are both good in their supporting roles as well.

The film has a terrific, fast-paced style that director Boyle perfectly nails and I thought his directing skills were perfect for the screenplay. As I said, there's a lot of great stuff in this movie but it still fell a bit short of actually being a great movie.

Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.

Thismay be the most interesting way to tell the story of Steve Jobs. We see almost nothing about his life or who he was, other than what we get from his interactions with his daughter, his assistant and Steve Wozniack. Although it leaves a lot out, it is still surprisingly effective.

And what we have is a very limited arc, from failures to success. We never get beyond 1998, so there is no iPod, iPad, iPhone or any of the things that have since made Apple a giant in the tech field. But again, this makes for some interesting storytelling.

... in that you can argue about almost every stroke in the painting, yet when you stand back a few feet from the work, you realize that this is a more accurate portrayal of Steve Jobs than any photograph could be.

For example, Michael Fassbender looks nothing like Steve Jobs did at any point in his adult life, sounds nothing like Steve Jobs did. Yet, by the end of the film you feel that you are looking right at the man. Why? Because every incident portrayed sounds EXACTLY like something Steve Jobs would have done or said even if the entire incident never happened.

Kate Winsett gave an Oscar worthy performance as Joanna Hoffman, Jobs' marketing expertise and confidante, if he had any confidante at all. She acts as his conscience, his anchor, yet she actually wasn't there for a third of the film. Hoffmann retired before Jobs went back to Apple. As for Seth Rogan as Steve Wosniak, what can I say. He blew me away as he stood toe to toe with Fassbender in a show down that took my breath away with its intensity, and he stole the entire scene from Fassbender, proving he is much more than just the comic relief of Judd Apatow films.

Jeff Daniels as the conventional CEO John Sculley, recruited by Jobs to deal with a most unconventional visionary in a pioneering industry, absolutely nails the part. The scene towards the middle of the film where Sculley and Jobs have it out is a work of art in itself of dialogue, editing, and acting, and the time shifting between the present and various pasts of their relationship is expertly done.

As for the plot? It takes place entirely at three product launches - the Mac in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988, and the iMac in 1998, and the central theme is Jobs' relationship with his daughter Lisa, the paternity of whom he did not come to terms with for years. Of course, if Jobs had even one product launch like the ones in the film with everybody he's ever known approaching and reproaching him, Jobs would have had security like the secret service at every launch afterwards.

So don't approach this like a documentary, instead approach it like the art it was meant to be and I think you'll enjoy it greatly. And regardless of what others say, I think it gives the most humane portrayal of Jobs I've seen on film. Strongly recommended.

As someone who has worked in computing for 30 years, I was greatly looking forward to Danny Boyle's new 'biopic' (using the term fairly loosely) about Apple founder Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender). Whilst I can't claim it was a bad film, I was ultimately slightly disappointed by the result.

The film zeroes in on some specific snapshots of Jobs's career, all centred around his famously theatrical product launches. During the course of three acts we see the preparations leading up to his launch of the original Mackintosh, his Next educational 'cube' and the gloriously different iMac.

As these acts span 14 years, we see the ongoing battle between Jobs and the flaky mother of his daughter (Katherine Waterston). We also see the often despicable way in which he treats his staff, including disparaging his closest colleague and co-founder Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen). In fact the only person he shows much respect for – at least for a while – is his boss and CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels).

During these exchanges, it is difficult to find Jobs remotely likable. He is portrayed – probably very accurately – as a man with fixated views, unable and unwilling to bend at all. In this capacity Fassbender turns in a predictably classy performance.

Trying to pour oil on continually troubled waters is Jobs's PA Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), looking less like Kate Winslet than she has for a while. Winslet is the best thing in the film.

The script is by "West Wing" writer Aaron Sorkin, and it is extremely dense: I pity the poor couriers who had to deliver the screenplay to Fassbender and Winslet, and can only imagine the look on their faces when they realised they had to learn it all! And it is the script that is frustrating. I found the historical aspects of the roller-coaster ride of Jobs's career, supported by some great inserts of historical snippets by Arthur C Clarke and Bill Gates, fascinating. But the continual refocusing on the relationship with the daughter (Lisa) I found less compelling. And some of the right-angles taken by the dialogue strain credibility: when Sculley suddenly branches off into deep psychological counselling with Jobs on his childhood, minutes before a major presentation, it just doesn't ring true.

Above all, it was extremely frustrating that the story took you to the point in each act of an announcer saying "And now let's welcome to the stage STEVE JOBS…" and then the action cut away to the next scene. You never got to see Fassbender let rip at channelling the famous Jobs charisma to his assembly of baying geek disciples.

While there are occasional snatches of Danny Boyle's usual flair, it views as a fairly atypical Boyle film: just getting all the dialogue in leaves little time for much stylised delivery.

So in summary its a workmanlike film but, for me, unfortunately one of the disappointments of the film year to date.

(Please visit bob-the-movie-man.com for the graphical version of this review. Thanks.)

This movie is a dramatization, based on stuff that really happened, and it is a really cool movie.

No, this movie isn't meant to show history exactly as it happened. If you want to know all that read the book by Walter Isaacson. It's a great book.

The script is pure Sorkin-Porn. Rapid-fire dialogue with 2 conversations going on at the same time. If you liked The West Wing or any of Aaron Sorkin's other movies, you'll feel at home with this one.

They also get the small emotional moments right as well. Some of the best moments are between Steve and his daughter.

The directing and editing is masterful. I liked the choice to shoot on different formats for the different years and the flashback scenes punctuate the drama on screen perfectly.

All the actors do a fine job, especially Michael Stuhlbarg who plays Andy Hertzfeld.

I hope when they release this movie on blu ray they include the video of the real Steve doing these product launches as bonus features.

If you can get past the fact that this movie isn't a word for word recreation of history, you will enjoy it.

Steve Jobs fails to explode off the screen like The Social Network or Charlie Wilson's War did. There's all the things to love about Aaron Sorkin's writing and the acting is terrific, but Sorkin's screenplay lacks the enjoyable bite of his previous efforts and the whole thing comes off rather lacklustre.

On the film's highlights - Fassbender leaps off the screen in the first two minutes and never lets go. He looks nothing like Jobs himself did but he perfectly captures the frustrating ego that everyone loathed and matches it with high spirit and a bit of humour. His condescension is so real that we snarl at it. Winslett also makes her mark very early on, nailing an accent and vanishing into the part of Johanna. Her chemistry with Fassbender is palpable. Seth Rogen crushes the role of Steve Wozniak, a casting choice I've been thrilled about since 2014, nailing the low self-esteem and nervous ticks of the nerdy genius. Watching Rogen perform we can see his anger but also the slight plea for their friendship to endure. We all know that one friend who feels like they're doing us a favour by being friends with us, and watching Fassbender and Rogen banter back and forth we can see it in real time. Jeff Daniels rounds out the four-person highlight as Apple's CEO, and truly stands out as a great supporting player.

Probably the most talked about feature of Steve Jobs is the three-act narrative filmed in different styles. Its been reported on a million times and all I'll say is I loved it. The transition between the three events are also clever, montages of real media reports and pictures. There's even a very cleverly used Simpsons gag that helps inform the audience. I also loved the playful score and the cinematography that emulates the walk and talk of the West Wing.

The screenplay is Steve Jobs' greatest aider and abetter. The film's best scenes are written masterpieces - two fights between Jobs and Wozniak in particular take your breath away, a harsh comment where Jobs cuts down his 5 year old girl's beliefs are harsh, the recurring references to Jobs' adoption are clever and the two Andys joke is a nice funny recurring gag. However, Sorkin's screenplay at times feels like a textbook, and with so many words floating around its easy to lose track of what's happening. Some of the lines of dialogue are so pretentious its easy to get taken out of the film. It's also annoying to see Sorkin recycle his classic Sorkinisms "Don't talk to me like I'm other people" and "well one day you'll have to tell us how you did it". When you've seen them a couple of times, they lost impact right where they're needed most. Sadly, Sorkin starts to get too smart for his own good.

I didn't care much for the story arc Jobs went on. He is vehemently opposed to being Lisa's father and hurts the little girl by saying the computer was not named after her. Then all of a sudden he's a caring father and the girl's mother (played wonderfully by Katharine Waterston) is portrayed as the film's villain. In the final act, Jobs has a very clunky reconciliation on the rooftop and says things that simply don't fit right with the story.

There's a lot of talent involved in this movie that I really wanted to love. Fassbender and his co-stars all do exceptional work and Sorkin delivers a number of wonderful scenes, but at the end of the day I can't help but walk away feeling like Jeff Daniels' character, mourning for the things that could've been achieved.

Steve Jobs is written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle. It stars Micheal Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man, his estranged family and staff at its epicenter.

I honestly can't start this review without saying this easily ties with my favorite movie of the year, The Gift, for quite a few reasons. Truth be told this movie has everything needed to build a classic and uses it remarkably.

Writer Aaron Sorkin has quite a few gems in his filmography which include Money Ball, Social Network and A Few Good Men. He is as versatile as he is brutal in honesty. He works wonders in this movie revealing the man behind the machine rather than the machine behind the man. Without any scenes of failure or success, Sorkin forces his audience to understand the complex and often times revolting central Character. With extremely well written confrontations between Jobs and Wozniak or Jobs and his Daughter or even Jobs and his Boss, Sorkin relentlessly demonstrates the true nature behind the tech giant. Though this movie's central family tension and the Job vs. Apple drama are enthralling, Sorkin injects just enough dry and black comedy to keep the movie from becoming an influential figure's shaming. With that being said Sorkin also understands that the enormous ego of Steve Jobs had to be exposed as a vice and plays on that brutal fact perfectly. With 4 dimensional characters, great central dramas and pitch perfect comedy, this might actually be his best work yet.

Accompanying the stellar writing was Danny Boyle's beautiful direction. Through seemingly unending shots and aggressive movements the audience genuinely feels like their in Job's presence which can be very hard to sit through at times but is ultimately rewarding experience. With visible passion from Boyle, this is one powerful ride.

To my common readers I mentioned a few weeks back that Black Mass had the greatest ensemble cast of the year, I was wrong. This movies cast never really stops acting to the point of absolute realism. To start Kate Winslet portrayal of real life Johanna Hoffman was as beautiful as it was naive. She brought the character alive in full force and truly demonstrated she is one of the best actresses working. I smell a nomination coming her way. I had referenced Jeff Daniel's acting last week in The Martian, well he completely out did himself. He was tender at times and shark-like in others. He drew the line between intelligence and decency and walks this tight rope carefully. Five year old Mekenzie Moss also offers an absolutely astounding performance, uttering few but heart wrenching words. Michael Stuhlbarg works wonder as well on a albeit smaller degree.

Now onto the two heavy hitters. A surprise to me and my theater alike, Seth Rogan gives the single best dramatic performance of his career. As Steve Wozniak, the literal opposite of Jobs, Rogan played the role with elegance and brilliance and I wouldn't even mind the Benicio snub if Rogen won the statue. The role demanded a sweet, naive, caring and ultimately explosive performance and Rogan more than delivered making the scenes of abrasion between him and Fassbender iconic.

I have been holding off that name for the entire review because Micheal Fassbender is the only thing keeping this movie from failing. He dawns the character in such a way, I can only compare it to Jake Gyllenhaal from Night Crawler and even then I don't think I could fully describe it. Filled to the brim with nuance Fassbender offers a cold, intelligent, manipulative, calculating, and over all disturbingly realistic portrayal of Steve Jobs. I really can't envision a better cast lead than him. As calm as he is diabolical, Fassbender plays this egotistical narcissist with such precision its close to horrifying to watch. Though calm through most of the movie Fassbender understands when to unleash the monster which lays in Jobs and is absolutely volcanic while doing so. Under all the deception, tyranny, and technological brilliance lays a purely adroit and masterful performance. Though Johnny Depp in Black Mass was great and Ian McClellan in Mr. Holmes was grand, neither of them embodied their characters much like Micheal Fassbender and it would be a shame and a disservice to cinema if he didn't with Best Actor. He has proved he is one of the best actors of the generation.

Steve Jobs was a privilege to see on the big screen and is so far tied with The Gift as my number one movie of the year. With Deft acting, exquisite direction, and powerful writing this movie is not far from a modern classic. Steve Jobs gets an A+.

This movie documents the history of Steve jobs through people yelling at him before product launches. It's well acted and has dramatic music, but confuses people yelling at Steve jobs for drama. There are flashbacks that people complain about later in the movie and then, it's time! Then Steve jobs gets on another stage for what should be an exciting feel good moment, only to be replaced by montages or nothing. This movie is as annoying as Steve jobs must have been for a biopic to droll on this much about it. Any attempt to reconcile these considerations is like Steve trying to forgive his past, it will never happen.

I remember before 'The Social Network' came out people couldn't imagine how you could make an interesting screenplay out of the creation of Facebook. However they had underestimated Aaron Sorkin and soon after its release realised their mistake. The dialogue he writes and the pacing of his storytelling is second only to Christopher and Jonathan Nolan in my opinion. 'Steve Jobs' is another fine example of his talents. He tells the story in a unique way, dividing the story into three parts, and it works. Simple as that. Danny Boyle's direction is also excellent it has to be said but most of that stems from the great script he had to work with.

Michael Fassbender has been nominated for Best Actor in a Lead role at the Academy awards. He is indeed excellent. His performance is snappy and on point delivering the wonderfully written dialogue in convincing fashion. Sadly for him this is DiCaprio's year and no one is taking that award away from him. Kate WInslet has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actress. I didn't think she was overly impressive. She did her thing well enough but I was never blown away and there was no one scene that made me stand up and take notice. I don't think she's done enough to knock Alicia Vikander off her perch.

The wonderful pacing makes the two hour runtime fly by. Even if you don't have much of an interest in Steve Jobs and his story (like I don't overly) you can still enjoy it and get an insight into what the man was like. People can make up their own opinion on whether he was a good man or not. No one could deny he had his issues but they also couldn't deny there was a strong level of genius behind it all. Watch the film and make up your mind for yourself. You won't regret it.

First of all.. I've seen Jobs with Ashton Kutcher and it wasn't that bad as everyone said and i personally think it was much more interesting than this one.

Steve Jobs was entertaining.. yes, but it was difficult to follow the plot. After watching the Movie i had no clue what Steve actually did, i mean i know some things, but i've learned nothing about his life after seeing this Movie. The only thing that this Movie brought to me was the Fact that he sucked as a Father and as a Human. Do i know why he did all this?...no.

In the End this Movie opened a lot of questions but none of them getting answered and this is the reason why i think i didn't liked it that much.

Yes the acting was great and all, but i hope it's not just me who thinks that a Movie needs more than just good acting..

Would you like to see the invention of Apple and what Steve Jobs done for it, watch the one with Ashton Kutcher...

If you like to see a Movie about Steve Jobs personal life without any real answers to it, watch this Movie...

I saw the original Steve Jobs movie with Ashton Kutcher, which in my opinion, served as a better outline for his career with Apple. This movie, however, was much better in a way where it provided a more realistic outlook with his innovative thinking and ties with Apple as it crashed and burned and then later reunited.

I was somewhat relieved that they touched on the subject with the daughter he had a hard time accepting until later, however, I was puzzled as to why they wouldn't include his current wife and other children in the movie as well. I thought that was kind of a slap on the face and a little disrespectful given that they were also a huge part of his life.

The movie is wonderful and Michael Fassbender does an immaculate job portraying Steve Jobs. The movie is divided into three phases, each phase set for the launch of a new product by Steve at various stages of his life. Most of the movie happens backstage where someone is confronting Steve. Even though most of the movie is set backstage, you can still paint a fairly good picture of what Steve Jobs was like in person and what all was going on in his life.

Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman did a wonderful job and the movie is very well made.

Steve Jobs was a fascinating, though complex, individual, so having a film based on him was always going to peek interest. Then there is the talent involved in 'Steve Jobs', director Danny Boyle who has made some very good films, one of today's most talented script-writers Aaron Sorkin and Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet as the leads.

Found 'Steve Jobs' to be a good and interesting film, albeit not one that will appeal to all viewers as can be seen from the polarising reviews. There is a lot to like here, and the good points are actually excellent. At the same time, considering the involvement of such fine talent and subject matter, 'Steve Jobs' also had potential to be, and perhaps should have been, more than good, great even. There are also a few issues here, and fairly sizeable ones, though there is much more good than there is bad.

There could have been more complexity to Jobs himself, difficult to do for a perfectionist who was very difficult to work with. Can definitely understand the criticism of 'Steve Jobs' being a pretty one-dimensional portrait of the man that magnifies his flaws. For something featuring heavily, his personal/family life could have been better explored and delved into more, there is heart with the relationship between Steve and Lisa but the final fifteen minutes or so to me came over as contrived rather than emotional and although Katherine Waterston does a good job her role is underwritten.

At times, the film is jumpy and also could have shown more of the launches themselves and showed how they were received rather than being told afterwards, for a film so heavily reliant on the backstage/behind the scenes aspects. Actually really liked the script on the most part, it is though talk-heavy and with scenes having a lot to take in there are instances where it's not easy keeping up. Also didn't buy Jobs/Scully's final scene together, which went against what was seen with their acrimonious confrontations before.

However, 'Steve Jobs' is very well made visually. It's unfussy but never cheap, actually it is very slick. It may feel like a filmed play, which is also down to the structure of the film, but for me it wasn't a problem. Boyle directs in a restrained fashion, while showing plenty of engagement with his material. The music is both low-key and lively when used.

While not perfect, Sorkin's script is one of the high points of 'Steve Jobs'. It's thought-provoking, intriguing smart and rapid-fire, with plenty of wit, intensity and snappy put-downs. The story, following an unconventional yet fascinating three act structure dealing with three different launches that Jobs revolutionised, goes at an energetic pace and is kept afloat by the intensity of the characters (especially Jobs and Joanna). Things move quickly and there is plenty to be interested by, one just can't help feeling that some aspects could have been delved into more. Jobs and Joanna have plenty of intensity in their chemistry, while Woz's final scene and the big scenes between Jobs and Scully are especially powerful.

Other than Sorkin's script, 'Steve Jobs' best asset is the acting. Fassbender may not look like Steve Jobs but he is nonetheless terrific and is an incredibly compelling presence. Winslet's performance is tense and deeply felt. Michael Stuhlbarg steals scenes in his not large screen time, while Seth Rogan demonstrates why he should do more dramatic roles and films and Jeff Daniels has not been this good in quite some time. Waterston does well with limited screen time and her role underwritten.

Concluding, good film but not a great one. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A few years ago I watched Danny Boyle's 127 HOURS and lamented that we are still to see Boyle's great masterwork . Credit to Boyle being interested in a story that wasn't very cinematic featuring a man trapped in one location which would make a great documentary of true life survival on the Discovery channel but doesn't lend itself to great cinema . With a biopic on Steve Jobs Boyle has his work cut out with this one especially since the narrative limits itself to three corporate launches and there's no way a director can use the language of cinema to tell a cinematic story if the foundations aren't there

To be fair Boyle does his very best to try and bring something to the table . He is one of the great technicians of cinema . The editing is fine as is the cinematography and he brings a few flourishes such as captions on walls . He also along with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and actor Michael Fassbender bring a bit of character development to Steve Jobs . The central protagonist of 1984 is something of a rat who doesn't care about his ex-partner and the child they possibly had together and doesn't care about anyone except himself . By the time the end credits roll Jobs is if not likable then merely less unlikable

Many people have commentated that the concept probably belongs on a theater stage rather than a cinema screen and I'm inclined to agree . It's also difficult to empathise with a protagonist/antagonist whose function is to market products of corporate capitailism but since my favourite product I have is my I-pod I shouldn't really criticise too much

The beautiful: This film had flavor: a hallway meeting was decorated by showing the launch of Skylab on the wall, the pouring rain outside during a board meeting was reflected on the ceiling, and narrowing the view of the media montage until it was the iconic -i-, the metaphor with the lilies… that's the spice of movies, baby! The good: The book/script. How you could summarize all that convoluted history into the span of a movie and still make it extremely entertaining just blows my mind. This one was definitely 'on the page'.

The bad: The trailer. Did they capture their target audience? I only bothered with this one because it was 'her turn to pick' (and she loves her phone *rolls eyes*.) I also thought it curious that my Apple-fan family didn't mention the movie on social media, 'they' who have worked at or around the company since its inception, went to school with Wozniak's kids and won't shut up about whatever new i-Junk is going on now. Did this movie set them off? Probably.

The ugly: The inherent problem with the theater industry. It's all about getting rear-ends into seats. Entertaining the audience is another matter entirely. This movie was extremely entertaining but would not have gotten my rear-end into the seat had someone not dragged me to it.

The bottom line: This movie was such an awesome piece of film work that I'm going to go see it again for the movie magic, not for Steve Jobs, or Apple, or i-Whatever.

A random guy shouting at his ex-girlfriend, shouting at his employees, shouting at the CEO, and shouting at his friend.

This movie isn't about Steve Jobs, nor is it about Apple. It's some random guy who is about to give three presentations, he's crass and rude to everyone including his estranged daughter.

The movie doesn't show any Apple or Technology related storylines, it's literally about a man and his relationship with his daughter.

Michael Fassbender looks nothing like Steve Jobs, acts nothing like Steve Jobs, his speech pattern and mannerisms are nothing like Steve Jobs, the only thing he shares, is the name Steve Jobs and vague references to his life, much in the same way that vague references to Apple are made throughout the film, i.e. The launch of the iMac.

I do like how it's filmed in three parts, and uses different film types relating to the era each section represents.

Other than that, the movie could be about anyone, the title Steve Jobs is misleading and only used to lure people to watch the move.

This film tells the story of Steve Jobs developing products for Apple Computers, then his subsequent venture outside Apple then back again as the Apple CEO.

This version of the Steve Jobs rise and fall story may be more truthful than the other film "Jobs", but it does not engage me because I find it full of negative energy. People are bickering all the time, with lots of fights and nasty comments are thrown at each other. Steve is portrayed to be an utterly horrible person, yet there are occasional scenes that are discordant, creating a lack of continuity with the character's personality. The ending seems like a desperate attempt to put some positivity back in, but it just doesn't work for me.