Review of Steve Jobs (2015) by Richard V — 21 Feb 2016

Steve Jobs is not a biopic. Nor is it a documentary. Rather, Steve Jobs is a fictional character study heavily based on details in Steve Jobs' life, but with historical inaccuracies. You can certainly compare this film to The Social Network - another Aaron Sorkin film - that is also historically inaccurate. It can even be compared to Citizen Kane, which is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst.

I bring this up because Steve Jobs' main criticism to many people is that "It's not accurate". To which I say, "So what?" The film was never billed as the typical biopic.

Steve Jobs is an incredible study of a complicated and flawed genius, constantly at odds with his staff that he considers his only friends, his right-hand woman, his boss that he considered a father figure, and the woman and daughter he refused to claim. Along the way is the personal and professional dramas that define his life for over 13 years. The film is cinematically stunning, shot just in three major locations that Jobs presented three key product launches. But it's mostly hallways and stages, giving it a very Birdman-esque quality. It's also a heavy talker - there's no action here except the dynamic drama between Jobs and everyone around him.

Fassbender and Winslet are award-worthy, Seth Rogen is doing his best work, and Jeff Daniels is wonderful. The writing is bold and dynamic. It hits the ground running and doesn't stop until an ending that really hits. A great film.