Review of Steve Jobs (2015) by Mark M — 28 Dec 2015

Steve Jobs (2015) is an interesting film with strong performances. It has an strong three-part structure that embeds the film with a repetitive rhythm (as well as Aaron Sorkin's trademark rhythmic dialogue).

But this also significantly narrows the scope of the story into a character study of the title role played by Michael Fassbender at key business moments in his life. However, in adopting this approach, much of the story about Steve Jobs is transformed into fictional events/conversations that never happened in this way, or never happened at all.

In order to overcome this problem, several inadequate flashbacks are offered to fill in the gaps. However, the film should really carry a "Inspired by Real Events" cautionary rider at the beginning since 80% of what is said/done in this film never happened, and the other 20% is remixed together in an attempt to drill down to the core of its title character.

The end result is fascinating but nonetheless doesn't ring true because the portrayal is too tidy, possessing an objective type of introspective honesty on the part of Jobs that was utterly lacking in Walter Isaacson's biography.

If anything, this film is an improvement on Isaacson's own misplaced attempts to psychoanalyze Jobs in that biography. To quote Mark Twain, "truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.

" Mark's Grade: B.