‘Steve Jobs’ is a unique film experience.
The best things in life come in threes. And, in the case of Steve Jobs, three never looked so good.
This new biopic, directed by Danny Boyle and written by famed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, challenges our past conceptions of a biopic by flipping them on their head. In other words, Boyle and Sorkin skip out on presenting Jobs in a wholesome chronological order and break his story down into a rule of thirds.
The chosen three-act structure (which already sets a unique tone for the film on its own) actually picks up and places the audience 30 to 45 minutes before a handful of Job’s biggest launch events over the years: 1984, 1988 and 1998. Those chosen years are the farthest thing from random; rather, without giving much away, each has left a significant mark on the life of Steve Jobs and the people that fall into his apparently inevitable orbit. Whether it be the launching of a revolution with the “New Mac” or the battles of ambiguous fatherhood, it’s a safe bet that these jump cuts through his life will leave you both loathing and admiring the man behind the mask.
With that being said, don’t expect an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish. The two-hour running time builds its hook around Sorkin’s out-of-the-box dialogue and the brilliant casting decisions that make the dialogue jump from the page to the screen. Both of these elements combined allow for characters that are flawlessly flawed, especially when it comes to the man of the hour. Just ask Peter Turner, a film critic for Starburst Magazine and RottenTomatoes.com. Turner believed that the film “certainly makes the man behind Apple a fascinatingly flawed character who is tricky to love, but very easy to watch.”
Acclaimed-actor Michael Fassbender takes on the role of Jobs with a sense of ease, walking into his shoes as quickly as he is to take them off and wash his feet in a toilet (an actual pre-launch ritual of the Apple guru). Nevertheless, Fassbender makes Jobs a tragic hero of sorts, making the man’s ego-driven business ethics as big as the products that got him there.
Despite such self-inclined motives, the biopic does show a sign of a heart in Jobs, especially towards the final launch event that the film portrays. Sure, the ensemble cast might sell the movie for many, including Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet. However, don’t let the name-dropping fool you. In the end, the audience will be left debating their own distinctive view of the protagonist, a debate that goes on well past the closing credits.
Altogether, Steve Jobs is different. It’s not like past renditions of Job’s life, let alone other biopics in general. It brings a flair to what nowadays feels like Hollywood’s most played-out genre. Furthermore, it makes us see the mechanical mastermind differently, as a businessman, an innovator and an egotistical maniac with a heart. And those three things alone make this movie one of the best films of the year (so far).
Steve Jobs is playing locally in and around Montclair. Some theaters include AMC Essex Green 9 in West Orange, AMC Clifton Commons in Clifton, Allwood Cinemas in Clifton, and Bow Tie Bellevue Cinema 4 in Montclair! For a list of even more theaters and show times, go to fandango.com!
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