Review of Steve Jobs (2015) by Kyle T — 12 Jan 2016

Steve Jobs is probably the best play you'll see on a movie theater screen this year. (Take that Fathom Events!) Now while some may take that as a negative criticism, it is actually meant as a compliment. The reason I call it a play is because that is just how the film feels. We are essentially given three very long scenes that all seem to take place on a similar stage. The actors show up in and out of the scene, almost like they are entering and exiting an actual stage. The film is almost entirely dialogue-driven. There is no real action to speak of here that an actor couldn't do on a literal stage. As such, the film becomes dependent on script and performances, making it all the more an accomplishment that it is so compelling.

Aaron Sorkin is one of the best screenwriters alive; I feel there are very few people out there who would disagree with that. His projects are usually of high-prestige and attract truly talented casts. Steve Jobs is no exception. Michael Fassbender continues to prove himself one of the most talented actors working. Add to that a cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen, Michael Stuhlbarg, Katherine Waterston and John Ortiz and you've got a great combination of script and performers. As for Awards consideration, I think Fassbender and Winslet are shoeins for Oscar noms (Actor and Supporting Actress). There are two performances here deserving of Supporting Actor attention-Jeff Daniels and Seth Rogen. It's a tough call who will get the nom. Daniels has the higher pedigree (Dumb & Dumber Too aside) and gets the best feud (arguably the best scene) with Jobs in the movie. However, Oscar loves to nominate comedic actors turned drama, which works in Rogen's favor. Plus he gets the best line in the movie that pretty much sums up the Steve Jobs personality contradiction in one sentence: "It's not binary. You can be decent and gifted at the same time." So, we'll see what happens.

While I think the cast and script pretty much make the movie, that doesn't mean director Danny Boyle and editor Elliot Graham don't deserve high marks for their work here. The film moves along at a quick pace and there really isn't anything that needs to be cut. We get a few flashback scenes to help make sense of the conversations currently on screen. Boyle and Sorkin have made an interesting decision here to not present a standard cradle to grave biopic. Instead, we are shown the behind-the-scenes goings-ons at three different product launches. Each scene reveals a little more about Steve's personality and his growth or lack there of as a person and an inventor. If anything, Steve Jobs was a complicated man. Maybe he wasn't the almost Dr. House-ian jerk he's presented as here. Many people that were close to him have spoken out against this portrayal. But Sorkin has made it clear that he is not a journalist nor is this a documentary. It's a movie. His job as a screenwriter is to take what material is available to him, and what sources will speak to him (including Steve Wozniak) and turn that into an entertaining and at least somewhat informative product. That job has been accomplished.

Steve Jobs isn't going to please everyone. It is a much different style than what we're used to in a biopic. And those with limited attention spans may well find the film boring. What is both a blessing and a curse for the film is that the movie theater experience really doesn't add anything to it, making it a film that will be just as enjoyable at home. This is a good thing for the home theater crowd, but as has proven the case so far, it is a bad thing for the film's box office. I've said many times my favorite thing in cinema is watching good actors perform good scripts. So at least for me, Steve Jobs was a very enjoyable movie. 8/10.?