It's commonly understood that biopics about a public figure can only be one of two things. It's either a cradle-to-grave story like, say, The Aviator or Gandhi or it's a specific event in their lives like the recent Lincoln biopic from Spielberg. Jobs is the latter, except it isn't.
Split over three product launches, one for the first Macintosh, one for the NeXT and one for the iMac, Steve Jobs hopes to condense one of this generation's most influential personalities into a sharp, two-hour narrative and examination. Michael Fassbender plays the titular role in the three acts, beginning as a twitchy Jobs who's full of '80s cockiness and ending with a mellowed-out, messianic figure who's surrounded by teenagers. In all three snapshots of Jobs' life, we see familiar faces. There's the long-suffering 'work wife', Joanna, played by Kate Winslet, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, played by an under-stated Seth Rogen, impish genius Andy Hertzfeld, played by Michael Stuhlbarg and the closest thing Jobs has to a mentor, John Sculley, played by a brilliant Jeff Daniels.
While you'd be forgiven for thinking that the film is about Steve Jobs and how he created "the future", as he puts it, the film is an examination of his relationship with both his daughter and former partner, Chrisann Brennan, played by Katherine Waterston. The film opens with Jobs arguing with Chrisann about the paternity of his daughter, Lisa, whilst he attempts to get the Macintosh up and running for its release. Fassbender's performance throughout is electric, all manic enthusiasm and railing, self-important hyperbole about what he's trying to create. It's clear that the screenplay isn't attempting to cast Jobs in a favourable or unfavourable light, merely that it's trying to show him for what he was - a flawed, damaged person.
Fassbender's characterisation of Jobs is fascinating to watch. It's clear that Jobs doesn't so much have a chip on his shoulder so much as it's a mountain range. Abrasive, acerbic, demanding, ruthless - everything you've heard about him is confirmed, but what's examined in the film is how that personality reflects on people around him. His relationship with Winslet's character, for example, is one of frustration and exasperation. With Rogen's Wozniak, the two are old friends who are growing steadily apart thanks to Jobs' inflated ego and refusal to accept that, in reality, Jobs is a salesman and not a creator. There's a great scene where Jobs equates himself to a conductor, something that Rogen's character flatly refuses and sparks a huge argument between them. Jeff Bridges, meanwhile, begins as a sort-of father figure to Jobs, but it's not long before the two are blood enemies, screaming against one another in a pivotal scene.For those expecting to see an examination of the inner workings of Apple, this isn't it. This is an examination of the inner workings of Steve Jobs and his very obvious personality disorder.
Aaron Sorkin's script is arguably his best yet, very narrowly matching The Social Network for its lyricism and character detail through dialogue. The unique voices at play, Jobs' hyperbolic rants about the future to the touching moments with his daughter, are incredible and engrossing. What's more, they're given room to breathe. Danny Boyle's direction very much takes a backseat; there are no directorial flourishes or spinning camera shots. Instead, inspired editing gives each scene an alacrity and cleanliness that makes the film feel a lot faster than it is. Each act has its own unique filter and mannerism, but it's not so much that it becomes overbearing. One wonders how David Fincher would have approached the film, but it's useless to think in those terms because this film works as it is.
This is Sorkin's film, not Boyle's and it is more of a three-act play than a film. It's more about the performances and the dialogue than how they're presented to you, which is fascinating because the film takes place in three separate presentations. Engrossing, entertaining and intelligently made, Steve Jobs is a sure-fire Oscar winner for Sorkin, Winslet and Fassbender.