Think Different

Rating: 9/10 (25 October 2015)

There's something to be said for a film without special effects, big set pieces, or action scenes, and still is captivating from beginning to end. Steve Jobs is one of the most important figures in our generation, if not the most. While I'm typing this review there's a commercial for the new IPhone 6S, the man's imprint is everywhere at all times. But to me he's always been a bit of a mystery. Everything from his relationship with his supposed daughter to the broken friendship and partnership between him and Wozniak has fascinated me. Although this film may not tell the whole story, it tells one hell of one. With the best screenplay of 2015 and tremendous performances all around, Steve Jobs is one of the best films of the year.
With an incredible end product, it's hard to remember all the troubles this film had behind the scenes. With the shuffling of directors, lead actors, and even studios, for awhile it seemed unlikely this film was ever going to get made. Foe what it's worth, I would have loved to see what Christian Bale would have done with Jobs, but Fassbender proved to be a strong choice. He doesn't look much like Jobs at all, but he seemed to capture his mannerisms and his presence for this rendition of jobs. Credit should also be given to the terrific ensemble cast. Kate Winslet held the film together as much as her character did her Jobs himself. Seth Rogen, who wouldn't normally associate himself with dramatic roles, gives a Jonah Hill in Moneyball like performance. I don't know if it will get him an Oscar nomination, but I think he may deserve one. Someone who may actually get one is Jeff Daniels, who plays John Sculley. Both him and Rogen have demanding roles and scenes several times throughout the film, and they always rise to the occasion.
But I think the hero of this film is the screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. The film is set up as 3 acts each right before an unveiling of one of Jobs' products. It's a structure that hasn't really been done before, but also proves to be very effective. It's jarring and even understandably annoying the first time they go to black as Jobs walks out on stage, but the material behind the stage is so interesting that you get used to it. The run-time is a brisk 120 minutes, but I could have watched 150 if they would have shown the presentations. Though we don't get a look into his products on the stage, we have YouTube for that, we do get a new understanding of the man behind the products and it couldn't have been more fascinating. It's worth mentioning Danny Boyle's great work behind the camera as well, although I'm having a hard time dividing the credit between him and the brilliant screenplay of Sorkin. For nothing else, this film should be seen because of its sharp and intelligent dialogue and Oscar worthy performances.
+Fassbender brings it
+And so does everyone else in the cast
+Give Sorkin the Oscar now
+Boyle handles the structure well
-Cut off some intriguing moments
9.3/10