[yasr_overall_rating]
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter.
Aaron Sorkin has always been a hero of mine. He constructs characters with incredible detail which can be implied visually or verbally. He always creates a minimal sense of background noise in his characters so that they, not their surroundings, are what drives the story and catches your eye. The screenplay he constructed for “Steve Jobs” is an amazing one and with the help of Danny Boyle he really brings an already emotional story to a heightened intensity that pairs perfectly with the cast.
Set before three key releases of three iconic products this movie really delves into Steve Jobs as a person and solidifies the idea that it was Steve’s complicated God complex and his never-ending entanglement with creativity that created his legendary persona. Michael Fassbender proves a great fit for the self absorbed persona of Steve Jobs. Coming from supporting roles in titles such as “X-Men: First Class,” “Inglorious Basterds,” and “Prometheus,” Fassbender takes the spotlight in the film and never waivers. His emotion in the movie is of the greatest precision, not overusing his talent but also not leaving the role absent of any emotion. In the end it seemed as though there could be no other actor in that role; Fassbender was and always will be the sole proprietor of that role.
Seth Rogen was very impressive in his role as Steve Wozniak. His work with comedy films seemed to denounce his ability as an actor that could hold his weight in a drama but those assumptions were quickly put to rest as his emotion bled into the scenes and created a brotherly bond between him and Fassbender. Rogen really evolved with the character and his emotions culminated in an impressive performance that peaked in a scene that really defined the fight between an unstoppable force and an immoveable object.
Jeff Daniels has worked on projects with Sorkin before and is one of the most respectable actors in the industry right now. His outstanding performances in the series “The Newsroom” and the recently released film “The Martian” seems to transfer into this film in the form of the father figure-like character John Sculley. With Sculley being the advisory figure to Jobs it makes sense that Daniels would be sought after as he has a natural mentor-esque feel in his recent roles.
The most impressive of all of the actors was that of Kate Winslet. Unsurprisingly, securing a spot in the star studded film, Winslet brings the heat with her performance as Joanna Hoffman. With appearances in such films as “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Titanic,” the actress adds to her resume with the emotion-filled performance. She was not only an emotional buffer but a stark contrast to Fassbender. Playing Hoffman seemed to come second nature to the talented actress as she easily provided the emotional depth and stark contrast that really elevated Fassbender’s character as well as her own.
Symbolism was imperceptible early on in the film but became more apparent towards the end and really built a backstory as to why Steve Jobs really focused on the physical aesthetics of his products which brings a larger substratum to the complexity of the character that wasn’t there before.
The story of Steve Jobs has been done before but not to this degree of complexity and not with this amount of style. This film has no negatives from start to finish.
In theaters October 23rd
