I went in
to this film still with mixed feelings on Steve Jobs. Since his death and
indeed throughout his life, I think he’s managed to retain a certain mystique,
despite countless books and films being released. The point is that I didn’t
know what to think about him and the way he lived his life. His life was full
of dichotomies. He masterminded Apple, the biggest company in the world that
has brought incredible tools to millions of people, yet technology is starting
to create social problems. He lived his adolescence as a self-confessed hippy,
yet he became a symbol of corporate America. He created devices that were
designed to be beautiful and connect us all, yet he himself was clearly very
single-minded and extremely ruthless with people. All this contrast adds to the
enigma of Jobs, and certainly makes him a fascinating case study for film
makers and biographers alike.
Quite
simply, I loved this movie. It ticked all the right boxes for a Steve Jobs
biopic, making it incredibly satisfying after the let down that was 2013’s ‘Jobs’.
Although it was a let down, I certainly wouldn’t write Jobs off as a crap film
though. In fact, it was better in one key area than this most recent film, that
being the accuracy of the characters’ appearances. It has to be said that Michael
Fassbender looks nothing like the real Steve, whereas Kutcher seemed to be an
almost spitting image. It is a small point but nonetheless a notable one. If it
wasn’t for the genius screenplay and some fantastic direction it may have been
a more noticeable misfire, but when it came down to it I barely noticed it at
all. I still believed in Fassbender’s portrayal of Steve. It was a far more
nuanced performance than that of Kutcher’s.
Part of the
reason it was so much better was down to the structure. Danny Boyle chose to
focus on three significant launch events presented by Jobs at various points in
his career. These were the Macintosh launch in 1984, The Next in 1993 and the
iMac in 1998 respectively. But he took it entirely behind the scenes. This to
me was the genius of this film. The 3 events only really serve to ground the
film and place it in context, whilst the real substance is not found in the
corporate side, but the human side of the man at these various points in his
tumultuous career. This gave the film a chance to really delve deeply into Jobs’
cold and often extremely ruthless character, whilst still providing a narrative
backbone. All in 122 minutes.
I won’t go
into detail on the various subplots that are explored in Steve Jobs. All I can
really say is that almost all of them were riveting and packed a real emotional
sucker punch. Perhaps the core of the film is the relationship between Steve,
his daughter Lisa and her mother, Chrisann. It was obviously the intention to
stretch the literal truth somewhat and have these two crop up at each of the
three launch events, and perhaps even more fictitiously, start an argument with
Steve right before he was set to go on stage. These relationships, between
Steve and Lisa, are really honestly explored. The emotional dissonance is
tangible and you start to understand the mixed feelings that built up between
the two over Lisa’s upbringing. It all comes to a head brilliantly in the third
act with Steve being forced to confront the very essence of what made him the
cut throat businessman who ‘played the orchestra’ at Apple for so many years.
The line “I’m badly made” really sums it up perfectly, encapsulating the great
irony of the man.
Other characters
also have their moments, like John Scully, played fantastically by Jeff
Daniels. The argument him and Jobs have at the end of the second act was one of
the most gripping pieces of filmmaking I’ve seen in some time. Then there is
Woz, portrayed by Seth Rogan. This didn’t appear to be a challenging role for Rogan,
despite being known principally for his comic characters. The arguments that
break out between him and Steve in both the second and third acts were also gloriously
suspenseful. The show is well and truly stolen by Fassbender though. He
dominates almost every scene with a relentless intensity and your eyes are
drawn to him. He captured the almost sadistic and disconnected Jobs with bold
assurance and I must applaud him for that. Kate Winslet does a reasonable job
as marketing executive Joanna Hoffman, although like Rogan, I feel this role
didn’t stretch her talent too much.
Anyone that
goes into Steve Jobs expecting bells and whistles or much of a coherent
plotline will be sorely disappointed. This is, above all, a character study. Comparisons
have obviously been made to The Social Network, which I also like a lot. But I
see that film as a bit more accessible than this one, which I feel Is down to
Zuckerberg being a more concrete character. There wasn’t as much subconscious conflict
going on in regard to his intentions and his true identity. Hence with Steve
Jobs, I think screenwriter Aaron Sorkin probably used even more words than he
did in writing The Social Network, which I have to say is some feat. The
screenplay has a Sorkin-esque urgency and catharsis to it. Almost like
everything in the very heavy script simply must be said for it to all make
sense. The result of this is a very dense film, with the emphasis almost always
on the dialogue. To its great credit, the film manages to avoid clichés, both
visual and verbal, and remain engaging throughout. In fact, I think it got
better as it went on. This just proves, if proof was needed, that Sorkin is a
damn good writer, and I found myself throwing mental fist pumps after nearly
every line in the second half. Nothing should be taken away from Danny Boyle’s
direction though, which undeniably provided the perfect atmosphere for the
dialogue to play out in. I particularly liked how he used different cameras to
film each act too. Some would say a gimmick, but it reinforced the progression
of technology between the respective years.
Overall,
this was one of the best films I’ve seen in 2015. It gives you a rare insight
into a very rare and special mind, whilst also adequately exploring the
politics of what was happening at that crucial time in the world of computing.
I felt like I came out better informed on Steve Jobs and what drove him to
create what he did. I have no real negatives, only that I felt that the film started
a bit sluggishly and picked up at a steady pace right until the credits rolled.
I don’t think everybody will enjoy this film though, and indeed I know people
who have hated it, which I understand to some degree. But if you’re interested
in Apple, the computing revolution or Steve Jobs the human being, this will be
gold dust to you.
Acting: 90
Narrative:
80
Visuals: 85
Music: 85
Overall:
85/100
No comments:
Post a Comment