I have mixed feelings about the film ‘Steve Jobs’. Let me start off by saying that this is a cinematic work of art (as i always expect from Director Danny Boyle) and I predict it will garner Michael Fassbender an Oscar nomination. My struggle comes with from what perspective one views this film. If you are enjoying it for it’s cinematic artistic value, then I have no qualms. A truly beautiful and innovative film. If one is looking for historical accuracy, then the film takes dramatic license to uncomfortable heights. Much has been challenged in terms of historical accuracies in this film, but even Job’s closest friends have said that they have captured a sliver of Job’s essence. If you are comfortable with those qualifiers then go and buy a ticket and watch an Oscar worthy film.
While Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 hours) is the Director, Aaron Sorkin (The Newsroom) is the screenwriter and loosely adapts Walter Isaacson’s definitive biography of Steve Jobs. The story is used to examine Steve Jobs, the human being, by focusing on three pivotal moments in Job’s career. The first act is in 1984 as Jobs launches the original Mac. The second act is Job’s unceremonious departure from Apple and his start up of Next. The third and final act is Job’s triumphant return to Apple and his launch of the iMac. Aaron Sorkin’s reliance on sharp, combative, and confrontational dialogue permeates the film and is the cause for much of the factual inaccuracies. In reality, many of the confrontations never happened and one of the most pivotal scenes, where co-founder Steve Wozniak confronts Jobs before the launch of the iMac, never occurred from Wozniak’s own account. This is where accuracy must be forgiven if one is to enjoy this film. Again by Wozniak’s own recollection, it does capture the essence of Steve Jobs as an acerbic and driven man who cared about his vision above all else.
The heart of the film was Job’s denial of his parentage of his daughter Lisa and his ongoing financial support of his ex-girlfriend. As a society, we tend to deify accomplishments of giants and celebrities like Jobs, and this film focuses on Job’s very human failings. Yes, Jobs made a ‘dent in the universe’, but at what cost? His uncompromising drive and vision caused him to be derelict in other parts of life that many might consider the most important. Despite our awe at all that Jobs accomplishes, we feel pity for what he has shut out of his life in terms of family relationships and the respect of his friends. As Steve Jobs is known to have said, it’s not that he doesn’t want to be liked, it’s that he is indifferent as to whether he is liked.
Michael Fassbender was actually the second choice for this role behind Christian Bale. While Fassbender may not have strongly resembled Steve Jobs, all was forgiven early by the power of his performance and the artistic integrity of this film. After the credits roll, i could not imagine Bale doing better in this role despite the fact that he more closely resembles Jobs.This is not your typical biography, if one can even call it a biography. It’s the artful execution of the story that allows me to forgive the inaccuracies in Sorkin’s screenplay. I highly recommend this film.
I give this film *** 1/2 stars
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