A Flawed Genius?

Rating: 9/10 (11 February 2016)

Steve Jobs. Flawed, controlling, narcissistic, and dare I say it......a sociopath. A genius, brilliant, driven and a man before his time. The bloke can be described in both ways but there is no doubt that he was one of the great achievers of his generation. His pursuit, vision and drive to succeed has resulted in some of the most unbelievable personal technology that humankind has come to know. Everywhere on the planet the undeniable legacy that Steve Jobs has left us all is evident. I-phones, I-pods, MacBooks and Apps are just a few of Jobs's iconic creations that are now a very big part of our daily lives. The man needed a film that could justify his existence and a performance from an actor that could be taken seriously. A Luke-warm production went down like a led balloon when it was released a few years back with the greatest error casting Ashton Kutcher in the lead role. Jobs is far too complex a character for a limited actor like Kutcher to give the role any real credibility so when a new and improved production was in the works there was some hesitation on my part to give it genuine thought.
Highly respected Director, Danny Boyle, is given the task of re-booting (no pun intended) Jobs' biopic. With productions such as the award winning 'Slumdog Millionaire' and the controversially brilliant 'Trainspotting', Boyle brings a fresh new look at the man that was at the forefront of personal technology at the beginning of the millennium. Based on Walter Issacson's non-fiction book and with a narrative written by the equally respected Aaron Sorkin, this new biographical story was always going to attract the very best talent and it has been claimed that Kate Winslet actually went after the role of Joanna Hoffman because of Boyle and Sorkin's involvement in the production. Boyle and Sorkin have given the audience more of a biopic of Steve Jobs soul rather than his life and it is this direction that immediately fixates the viewer and pulls them into the story.
The film is simply told in three parts, all of which revolve around a highly anticipated launch of one of Steve Jobs ground breaking technological inventions. Each launch focuses on the man's tortured mind, the darkness of his soul and the flaws in his personality. Michael Fassbender is magnificent as the very unlikable Jobs, expertly sliding into his role with all the creative talent of a seasoned professional. Without Fassbender's engrossing performance 'Steve Jobs' would have been just like its predecessor........an awful mess. He completely encases the spirit of Steve Jobs with all the complexities of the character. Although Jobs comes across as a demanding disliked sociopath, Fassbender is good enough to get an emotional response from the audience. "I'm just not well made." It's this comment to his daughter that thoroughly encapsulates this difficult man.
Kate Winslet is already receiving high praise for her role as Jobs long suffering right hand woman, Joanna Hoffman. There is very little that Winslet can't do and she again attacks this outstanding role like it was her very first. Jeff Daniels is returning to grittier roles and puts in a solid effort as the Chairman of Apple, John Sculley but the biggest surprise comes from Seth Rogan in his role as Steve Wozniak. Rogan knows he can't match it with Fassbender and doesn't have to with his appearances well timed and full of quality.
'Steve Jobs' may not be factually correct and fails to tell the complete tale of this iconic man but it goes right to the heart of Jobs' soul and the result is a tremendously layered narrative of how and why this man worked the way he worked. Jobs' relationship with the people that were closest to him are put right out on display for the viewer to consume and it is up to the individual on how they receive such a film.