Danny Boyle has always been a stylish filmmaker whose work resonates with me on a very deep level. I loved his powerful illustration of survival in 127 Hours and his unforgettable love story with Slumdog Millionaire. Therefore, the moment I heard that Danny Boyle was teaming up with Academy Award winning writer, Aaron Sorkin, and leading man, Michael Fassbender, to resurrect the seemingly cursed film project, Steve Jobs, I became cautiously optimistic. And despite all of the film’s well-documented hurdles and obstacles with assembling the proper team, Boyle and company still manage to deliver what PC pioneer Steve Wozniak himself described as the best on-screen depiction of the late Steve Jobs.
Set in three scenarios directly prior to product launches during the 1980s and 1990s, Steve Jobs (Fassbender) is forced to sift through personal issues regarding the daughter he denied, malfunctions with his software and grudges with his closest confidants. Through the aid of his hard-nosed assistant, Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), Jobs manages to keep his life somewhat in order as he navigates through our world’s greatest technological boom.
There are plenty of commendable attributes surrounding Danny Boyle’s latest work. Steve Jobs is a perfectly-paced and well oiled biopic that leaves an abundance of room for Michael Fassbender to reveal his natural acting talents. And although Fassbender’s charasmatic performance will most likely nestle him into Oscar contention, perhaps it’s the fine-tuned work of Kate Winslet that rings most memorable. The Academy Award winning actress not only displays herself as the rock in Jobs’ unpredictable and capricious work environment, her character acts as the voice of reason in the Apple co-founder’s personal life as well. If there’s a reason worth watching the latest examination of Steve Jobs, it’s for all the fine performances from these two scene stealing leads all the way down to Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Despite the top flight acting splashed all throughout Steve Jobs, there are many disappointing aspects to the film. First and foremost, writer Aaron Sorkin’s peculiar decision to frame the story within three distinct moments provides a wide set of pros and cons. Although its refreshing to branch away from the traditional structure of a biopic, which generally meanders through a checklist of pivotal moments in a subject’s life, Sorkin’s choice creates a setting unnatural for proper character development. Furthermore, this dialogue drowned script provides absolutely zero action throughout the film. But thankfully, Danny Boyle utilizes sound filming techniques to keep conversations interesting to the viewer and the cast delivers their often snarky and humerus quips to perfection. These saving graces both provide a counterbalance to an otherwise less than thrilling screenplay.
Steve Jobs is a worthwhile film that offers a fair amount of highs and lows. And to its benefit, all of the film’s events and situations unfold smoothly in a quick and painless fashion that will leave the credits rolling before you know it. Steve Jobs is far from Danny Boyle’s finest work and nowhere near a Best Picture contender, but it’s another strong effort from a fantastic filmmaker that showcases plenty of award-worthy performances.
Grade: 4/5
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