Steve Jobs Movie Review
"Artists lead, hacks ask for a show of hands."
-Steve Jobs
I was genuinely surprised and relieved when I heard this film was being made. Surprised because the movie Jobs had recently come out, about the same man, played by Ashton Kutcher. Boy was that movie a wreck. To top it off, I'm not an Ashton Kutcher fan so there was nothing appealing about that movie. The relief came because I think Steve Job's story is one that must be told, as he is a man who has changed the world of technology as we know it. The other thing that made me happy was when I heard that Michael Fassbender was cast to play Steve Jobs. I love Fassbender and I think he always nails the roles he takes on. I always get a little more excited about a project when I hear Fassbender is on board. At the helm is director Danny Boyle who has a few films under his belt that I've really enjoyed and writer Aaron Sorkin who wrote The Social Network, among other films. I guess he likes writing bio-pics on billionaires? Needless to say, I was very happy to see that we were getting the Steve Jobs movie we should have gotten a few years back, and I was not disappointed.
The movie was really good, but not a masterpiece. Fassbender's performance was spot on, and I felt like I was watching Steve Jobs himself. I think he'll get a best actor nomination for this role. The film was very interestingly structured, taking place over the course of three different days throughout Steve Jobs' career. The first day was was the launch of the Apple Macintosh in 1984. The second day was the launch of the NeXT computer in 1988. And the last day was the launch of the iMac in 1998. Three acts of the film, three major reveals, the same man back stage.
We get a glimpse into the life of the mastermind behind it all. I really enjoyed the film because it wasn't a documentary and it also wasn't about the products he created. It was about Steve Jobs, the man, and the struggles he had to overcome in his life. He wasn't portrayed as flawless but rather as a man with many flaws and internal struggles. He wasn't the friendliest person but what he was was an innovator, an inventor, and a genius.
We get a glimpse into the life of the mastermind behind it all. I really enjoyed the film because it wasn't a documentary and it also wasn't about the products he created. It was about Steve Jobs, the man, and the struggles he had to overcome in his life. He wasn't portrayed as flawless but rather as a man with many flaws and internal struggles. He wasn't the friendliest person but what he was was an innovator, an inventor, and a genius.
At more than one point in the film, Jobs says that people don't know what they want until you tell them. I thought this was such an interesting idea that rings true in our society today. Steve Jobs was a visionary, a billionaire, and was the head of global powerhouse corporation, but this wasn't the case from day one. He experienced some massive failures and setbacks before taking his seat at the top.
The first act of the film introduces us to Steve on the day of the Macintosh launch. The day was hectic and fast-paced, just like Steve's attitude. Fassbender excellently portrays Steve as quick witted, intelligent, and even a bit harsh in the rush of it all. While Fassbender was genuine with his performance, the supporting cast was great too. Kate Winslet was Joanna Hoffman, Job's most trusted associate and partner who was pretty much the only person who could put him in check. Winslet was great in portraying this strong willed woman, who wasn't afraid to step up Steve and knock him down a few notches when his head got too big. She was definitely his rock. Then we had Michael Stuhlbarg who played Andy Hertzfeld, a member of the original Mac team who Steve was very verbally abusive towards from the jump. He was very subordinate to Steve and Steve took advantage of that and didn't treat him with much respect. Steve definitely had an aura of superiority about him, which obviously isn't the best characteristic to have around other people.
Seth Rogan played Steve Wozniak, one of Steve's oldest friends. I felt so bad for Wozniak throughout the film, because he knew Jobs on a level that many others didn't, but Jobs never really showed him the respect he should have and never did him the favor of acknowledging the Apple 2 team that Wozniak was a part of. The truth is that without Woznaik, there would have been no Apple, and there would have been no Steve Jobs, as we know him. The pure persistence of Wozniak throughout the film, and his desperation for the recognition he deserved was rather sad. In one fantastic altercation between the two, Wozniak calls Jobs' out in auditorium full of people and tears into him. Every point he makes is valid, and we see just how stubborn and cold Jobs was. Among other great lines in the film, Jobs himself admits "musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra." He knew how to work people, and how to get the right parts where they belonged. Whether you agree with his tactics or not, their is no denying his results.
Finally we have John Sculley, played by Jeff Daniels. He was the man who Jobs brought in from Pepsi to take Apple to the next level and was a father figure to him. Things get very convoluted between Jobs and Sculley, especially after the dismal failure of the Macintosh in '84. The scenes with Daniels and Fassbender were all very layered and the quip between the two men were great. The relationship hits different extremes in the different acts of the film, and by the end we're left with a hollow feeling and a big 'what if', what if these men could have truly worked out their differences sooner. Sculley had a grave impact on Jobs' highs and his lows, and Jeff Daniels was just the man present Sculley to us. What really brought it home for me though, was the relationship Jobs had with his daughter. It evolved after every act of the film, and each time it peeled back a layer of Jobs' humanity.
At the start, Jobs is in denial that this 5 year old girl is his daughter. The girl's mother Chrisann, who he had relations with prior to the child being born, even had a court ordered blood test that proved there was a 94% chance that Jobs was the father. He was mandated to make payments, but even with half a billion dollar worth at the time, he was only making minimal payments. The 5 year old girl's name was Lisa and she was in fact Steve's daughter. But it took him years to accept it and once he did he still wasn't the most present father. It's hard to relate with someone like Steve Jobs because there aren't many people who can change the world like he did, but the scenes in which he bonds with Lisa and truly expresses paternal instincts, are the ones that make you feel like Steve is just a regular guy.
There were three different actresses that played Lisa over the course of the film and they all brought something to the table. At first she was a sweet innocent little girl who was being denied by her father. It was heartbreaking to watch and I wasn't really a fan of him at the start of the film. In the second act she was a little older, but more understanding of the world around her, and becoming reluctant to live with her mom. In one tear-jerking scene, she hugs her father tight and whispers that she wants to live with him instead of her mother. In the the third act she's all grown up and in college, looking after her sick mother.
There's an interesting conflict in the third act, where lots of characters in the film come full circle. Andy Hertzfeld paid Lisa's tuition after her and her father got in argument and he refused to pay. Jobs may or may not have been bluffing, but it was a huge punch in the gut when he found out Andy paid her tuition. That marked the end of their relationship, because I'm not sure what they had could really have been considered a friendship. Joanna also corners Steve, forcing him to reconcile with his estranged daughter. This is where Winslet really nailed it, in her emotional lashing out.
One of my favorite scenes in the film was very close to the end, where Steve and Lisa are having a conversation on the roof parking lot. It was a tender moment for the both of them, and really gave us a glimpse at the man underneath the harsh exterior. The cherry on top, for me at least, was the little comment thrown in at the end of the scene. Jobs makes a negative remark about Lisa's bulky Walkman, and tells her he's going to put 1,000 songs in her pocket. It was great foreshadowing or fan-service, or whatever you'd call that. We all knew he was talking about the iPod, a piece of technology that would go on to change the landscape of the music/consumer world.
It's important to note that the first two acts did not result in success. The Macintosh was a huge bomb that got Jobs removed from the company and muddied his relationship with past associates, especially Sculley. While the NeXT also wasn't successful from an initial business standpoint, it was all part of Steve's plan to get back in on Apple, and reach the top.
All in all, I enjoyed this film very much. Steve Jobs may have not been the kindest person around, but he was one of the greatest visionaries of our time. He changed the world in a way we may not even realize on a daily basis, because his inventions have become so commonplace. Fassbender does a phenomenal job in portraying Jobs as the conflicted, genius he was, who was also probably more scared of being a bad father than anything else. I like how the movie was all about him and his relationships, and not about Apple and their success. The supporting cast was also great and helped in shaping Fassbender's take on Jobs, while giving us some incite on the people who surrounded him. I give Steve Jobs an 8 out of 10. Rest in peace, Steve Jobs.
Finally we have John Sculley, played by Jeff Daniels. He was the man who Jobs brought in from Pepsi to take Apple to the next level and was a father figure to him. Things get very convoluted between Jobs and Sculley, especially after the dismal failure of the Macintosh in '84. The scenes with Daniels and Fassbender were all very layered and the quip between the two men were great. The relationship hits different extremes in the different acts of the film, and by the end we're left with a hollow feeling and a big 'what if', what if these men could have truly worked out their differences sooner. Sculley had a grave impact on Jobs' highs and his lows, and Jeff Daniels was just the man present Sculley to us. What really brought it home for me though, was the relationship Jobs had with his daughter. It evolved after every act of the film, and each time it peeled back a layer of Jobs' humanity.
At the start, Jobs is in denial that this 5 year old girl is his daughter. The girl's mother Chrisann, who he had relations with prior to the child being born, even had a court ordered blood test that proved there was a 94% chance that Jobs was the father. He was mandated to make payments, but even with half a billion dollar worth at the time, he was only making minimal payments. The 5 year old girl's name was Lisa and she was in fact Steve's daughter. But it took him years to accept it and once he did he still wasn't the most present father. It's hard to relate with someone like Steve Jobs because there aren't many people who can change the world like he did, but the scenes in which he bonds with Lisa and truly expresses paternal instincts, are the ones that make you feel like Steve is just a regular guy.
There were three different actresses that played Lisa over the course of the film and they all brought something to the table. At first she was a sweet innocent little girl who was being denied by her father. It was heartbreaking to watch and I wasn't really a fan of him at the start of the film. In the second act she was a little older, but more understanding of the world around her, and becoming reluctant to live with her mom. In one tear-jerking scene, she hugs her father tight and whispers that she wants to live with him instead of her mother. In the the third act she's all grown up and in college, looking after her sick mother.
There's an interesting conflict in the third act, where lots of characters in the film come full circle. Andy Hertzfeld paid Lisa's tuition after her and her father got in argument and he refused to pay. Jobs may or may not have been bluffing, but it was a huge punch in the gut when he found out Andy paid her tuition. That marked the end of their relationship, because I'm not sure what they had could really have been considered a friendship. Joanna also corners Steve, forcing him to reconcile with his estranged daughter. This is where Winslet really nailed it, in her emotional lashing out.
One of my favorite scenes in the film was very close to the end, where Steve and Lisa are having a conversation on the roof parking lot. It was a tender moment for the both of them, and really gave us a glimpse at the man underneath the harsh exterior. The cherry on top, for me at least, was the little comment thrown in at the end of the scene. Jobs makes a negative remark about Lisa's bulky Walkman, and tells her he's going to put 1,000 songs in her pocket. It was great foreshadowing or fan-service, or whatever you'd call that. We all knew he was talking about the iPod, a piece of technology that would go on to change the landscape of the music/consumer world.
It's important to note that the first two acts did not result in success. The Macintosh was a huge bomb that got Jobs removed from the company and muddied his relationship with past associates, especially Sculley. While the NeXT also wasn't successful from an initial business standpoint, it was all part of Steve's plan to get back in on Apple, and reach the top.
All in all, I enjoyed this film very much. Steve Jobs may have not been the kindest person around, but he was one of the greatest visionaries of our time. He changed the world in a way we may not even realize on a daily basis, because his inventions have become so commonplace. Fassbender does a phenomenal job in portraying Jobs as the conflicted, genius he was, who was also probably more scared of being a bad father than anything else. I like how the movie was all about him and his relationships, and not about Apple and their success. The supporting cast was also great and helped in shaping Fassbender's take on Jobs, while giving us some incite on the people who surrounded him. I give Steve Jobs an 8 out of 10. Rest in peace, Steve Jobs.
Comments
Post a Comment