Seems like you're watching a play

Rating: 5/10 (6 June 2019)

If you're looking for a flattering depiction of Steve Jobs, this 2015 biopic isn't it. Starring Michael Fassbender, and costarring Kate Winslet as his overworked assistant and Seth Rogen as his former business partner, the film paints Jobs out to be demanding, distant, unreasonable, and cruel. I watched this movie with my dad, and he'd just finished reading Walter Isaacson's biography on which the film was based. He said there were obvious parallels from the written words to the film, so those of you who read that biography might be interested in renting the movie.
To me, the film reeked of the theater. If I hadn't watched it with my dad, I could have sworn Aaron Sorkin's screenplay had been based off of a play rather than a book. It's separated into three sections, or acts, and it could have easily been performed on a stage. Each act takes place backstage before an event, and as Steve prepares to make his big speech, the same few people come into his life with the same problems. It has a very symbolic feeling, showing that as time passes, a man can outwardly progress and yet stay stuck within himself.
There's an overwhelming dizzying effect by director Danny Boyle to try and show audiences Jobs's mindset, as well as a purposely irritating score written by Daniel Pemberton, to remind audiences that when he least needs chaos, chaos finds him. I didn't end up enjoying this movie, because the protagonist was so unlikable and the theater-esque setting felt a little pretentious, but Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet's performances were worth watching. I barely recognized Kate, and Michael's constant energy was as exhausting as it needed to be.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie will not be your friend. During almost the entire movie, there are either ancillary images floating in the background or a fluid camera movement that will make you very sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"