Review of Steve Jobs (2015) by Javiëre U — 19 Nov 2015

A high performance machine sporting an operating system that's at times brilliant but at times slow, Steve Jobs proves a remarkable upgrade from its glitch-filled predecessor and boasts some award worthy hardware besides. Not that the software comes completely riddled with bugs, mind you. The three-act design - set backstage at iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac - proves to be the greatest and most irksome portion of the film. Rather than present the man in a cradle-to-grave slide show, the film integrates a lot of facts, figures, and (emotional) core processing into three key moments that capture the human factor behind this genius like lightning in a bottle and doesn't completely feel like data processing. Like any multiple storied production, however, some chapters emerge stronger than others and Steve Jobs suffers the slight indignity of the weakest link playing out last. Aaron Sorkin punctuates the goings-on with some super-intelligent zingers (indeed, he has given filmgoers one of the most quotable films of the last decade) and heartfelt back-and-forths (despicable at times, his interactions with his assistant, daughter, and former partner make this a phenomenal performance piece for all involved), but his third act becomes a bit dull before hitting audiences with an engrossing and deeply vetting curtain closer.

An R-rated drama based on Walter Isaacson's best-selling biography, this bio-pic takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man (Fassbender) at its epicenter.

Michael Fassbender flirted with Supporting Actor Oscar before for 12 Years a Slave, but Steve Jobs posits a good reason why he didn't get it: He's a lead performer and deserves Best Actor accolades all the more for this, his best turn yet. Director Danny Boyle deserves a good deal of the credit, however. Despite limited locations, the action always feels fluid and the arena grand. Of course, it helps that the settings compliment Sorkin's walk-and-talk style, pioneered on NBC's The West Wing and put to excellent use here too.

Bottom line: Big Mac.