Engaging look at an interesting man

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2015)

Steve Jobs of Apple Computers has to deal with assorted individuals at 3 product launches: the Macintosh in 1984, the NeXT in 1988, and the iMac in 1998.
This film was not terribly high on my list of "must-see"s – I'm not a fan of biographies, and I'm not terribly interested in Jobs or Apple. I like most of the cast members (with reservations about Seth Rogen) and of what I've seen, I've liked more of writer Aaron Sorkin's and director Danny Boyle's work than not. It still wasn't high on my list.
It is a terrific film. It is full of drama, all of which comes from the interplay between the characters. The characters themselves are all interesting and three-dimensional, with well-balanced virtues and character defects (not least Jobs himself, undoubtedly an enormously able man but, if this is to be believed, not naturally gifted in terms of interacting with those around him). It looks great and is full of the eye-catching, fluid direction which Boyle showed us in Trance. It is also very well-written: the dialogue is not dazzling, but it engages throughout. And the entire cast is first rate. Kate Winslet is coming in for plaudits but, for me, the revelation was Rogen, excelling on a non-comedic role.
There is nothing pyrotechnic about this film, in any sense, but it is strong in every sense, constantly engaging, and entertaining for its entire length.