Lives up the Apple Legend's Name

Rating: 9/10 (1 January 2016)

Steve Jobs is the 2015 biopic that follows the co-founder of Apple backstage before the launches of the Macitosh in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988, and the iMac in 1998. The film is directed by Danny Boyle, and the screenplay is written by Aaron Sorkin. Fueled by the films' masterful performances and witty script, Steve Jobs delivers a powerful and emotional look at the man who changed the face of technology forever in one of the best films of 2015.
Steve Jobs focuses on three different technology launches, and because of that, you get to see Jobs during three very different stages of his professional and personal life. These three sequences show Jobs preparing for each of the three launches but also shows his interactions with his daughter, Steve Wozniak, the CEO of Apple and his marketing director. Each of these particular sequences are treated as three interconnected short films. Each sequence has its own setup, and eventual climax and conclusion. This structure is unordinary, but I found it to be very fitting considering the sides of Job's life the film focused on.
Each of these three sections primarily involved Steve Jobs walking and talking with various people. In nearly every other film this would considered a huge negative. However, Steve Jobs' screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is one of the best at his craft, and every single line of dialogue he writes is sharp, witty and powerful. While the film does have its fair share of memorable and quotable lines, it also maintains a strong consistency from start to finish. None of the characters feel like movie characters; they all feel like their real-life counterparts, which is a huge credit to Sorkin. You can go ahead and pencil in Sorkin for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination.
What is great dialogue without great direction and great performances? Luckily, Steve Jobs succeeds in all three of these categories. Danny Boyle is one of best directors working today, and while his style of filmmaking in Steve Jobs isn't flashy, he directs his actors and actresses in a way that allows them to shine.
Okay, enough beating around the bush. What about Jobs himself? Michael Fassbender is absolutely outstanding as Steve Jobs. His on screen presence, his line delivery and his subtle tendencies are all a perfect match. He is an absolute lock for a Best Leading Actor Oscar Nomination. The film features some great supporting performances, as well. Kate Winslet is great as his marketing director, Joanna Hoffman, and Seth Rogan shows some range with his performance as the other co- founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak. I will always remember Jeff Daniels as Harry Dunne, but he's fantastic as John Sculley. Since this film does have so many great performances, I think some people may over look Michael Stuhlbarg's strong performance as Macitosh designer, Andy Hertzfeld (running out of good adjectives to describe performances). I firmly believe Steve Jobs collectively has the best performances out of all the movies I've seen in 2015.
While the film highlights Steve Jobs' life, it doesn't idolize him; it shows him for who he was, for better or for worse. The film's (3rd) climax is very powerful; there wasn't a dry eye in the entire theater by the time the credits began to roll.
I'm all aboard the Steve Jobs bandwagon. The film's quality in script, performances and direction are all first class. Steve Jobs lives up to the Apple legend's name and deserves a standing ovation.
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