Review of Steve Jobs (2015) by Maksim B — 25 Jan 2016

Slick, captivating and driven by outstanding performances, Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs is an incredibly focused, tensioned and well-paced biopic. Far from being a "dream story" of a cult "tech-hero", the movie is a provocative depiction of an arrogant, rude genius who found his own way to make things happen the way he has dreamed.

The success of Danny Boyle's delivery is hidden in two main factors which wonderfully compliment Boyle's directing: the actors and the screenplay of Aaron Sorkin. Just like The Social Network, Sorkin's screenplay is direct, aggressive and dialogue based. Rather than a whole life story, the movie covers three specific events from Jobs' life in order to create a complete depiction of his character. Each scene is minutes before the presentation of a new product inspired by Jobs and just minutes before it all corporate, private and personal sides of the main character are being revealed to the audience. The second reason why Steve Jobs is a must see movie is the performance of Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet. The former delivers a mesmerizingly manic performance which truly deserves the Oscar nod which it received (although its chances of winning are quite small) while the latter is most deservedly considered to be among the favorites to actually grab the award for Best-Supporting Actress. Winslet gracefully remains in the shadows of Fassbender while she shows the same determination and dedication to success and Jobs' dreams as Jobs himself.

If asked, why I would not consider Danny Boyle's latest aspiration to grab some Oscar Awards, the answer would be simple. While the screenplay and the direction make it possible to have a wonderfully tensed movie, the lack of emotional load and actual involvement by the audience with the characters is present at every moment. In addition to this, the final "redemption part" simply does not match the rest of the content and seems a bit awkward in the end.

In conclusion, Steve Jobs is a brilliant movie which despite its minor flaws will be potentially a serious Awards-contender (at least Alan Sorkin has a real shot at winning for Best Screenplay, as well as Kate Winslet for Best Supporting Actress). A captivating, thrilling and completely enjoyable, the movie is one of the highlights of 2015.