The new Steve Jobs film is an interesting interpretation on the life of the Apple co-funder. But do we need another movie about Steve Jobs? Can this movie make us think a bit more about the world we live in and the issues we face?
Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle have not only examined a life, but sought to capture the technological developments and changes that we have witnessed. It does a better job than The Intern which looks at google. It is a pleasant change from many of the other biographies that Hollywood has produced in the last few years. The question is if this is a good movie or a bad one?
I had mixed feelings when I walked out of the cinema. It wasn't the best movie I had seen this year, it wasn't the worst. It did make me think about the world and perhaps that is all a good movie hopes to achieve.
Pros:
Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle have not only examined a life, but sought to capture the technological developments and changes that we have witnessed. It does a better job than The Intern which looks at google. It is a pleasant change from many of the other biographies that Hollywood has produced in the last few years. The question is if this is a good movie or a bad one?
I had mixed feelings when I walked out of the cinema. It wasn't the best movie I had seen this year, it wasn't the worst. It did make me think about the world and perhaps that is all a good movie hopes to achieve.
Pros:
1. Acting - Michael Fassbender gave a solid performance as Steve Jobs. Kate Winslet was good and surprisingly unrecogniseable as the marketing executive Joanna Hoffman. Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels were also well cast in their roles as co-founder and CEO of Apple, respectively. The family dimension of his daughter and former girlfriend was a nice touch to illustrate Jobs' personal drama and difficulty in managing his work with his emotions. Other reviews have focused on Jobs character and how unlikeable he was. It has been critiscised for its fictional writer's conceit and character assassination (eg. this review on Macworld). Personally, I like this Sorkin / Boyle / Fassbender portrayal. Afterall, we want to see it, warts and all. It is something a bit different. Of course I would feel differently if I knew Steve Jobs or worked at Apple. I'm just a movie goer and I saw it as an interpretation of a story.
2. Structure - The movie is centred around the lead up to three product launches. I like this device. It makes a nice change from the typical biography which goes from birth to death. These product launches frame the story so that we see how much marketing played to the Apple story. Apple is possibly the biggest example used by marketing courses. It doesn't just sell a device. It sells a lifestyle.
3. Story - The overarching theme I took was that Jobs never gave up. He failed but picked himself up. It recognises Steve Jobs achievements and contribution to music, providing computers to households so that we could have the functionality and convenience of technology today. He pushed the boundaries, dared to believe that he could make a difference, defied the norms, made the marketplace competitive, innovative and didn't conform to the niceties or etiquettes. Did it make him an unpleasant person? Perhaps. But then look at what he achieved.
Cons:
1. Setting - Almost all of the movie is set indoors around the product launches. Jobs moves from room to room to change the scene. It felt claustrophobic. The two scene which did provide a sense of space was when Jobs is with his daughter on the roof and also among the lights above the stage. As a viewer, I would have liked to feel more of the outside world, which I understand is tricky given that a product launch is in an auditorium and provides less scope for outdoor scenes.
2. Pace - The movie felt long and some scenes you wanted to scream hurry up! I am a fan of Sorkin but I am reminded of the West Wing when there were episodes when my mind would wander and this is not what you want in a script. Am I being too demanding as a viewer if I want to be immersed in a story and not thinking how much longer is this movie going to go on for? The flashbacks worked well to break things up and added another dimension to the story. These were effective but could have been used more with the ex girlfriend and daughter to form a more complete story and add to the drama.
3. The Ending - The two words which come to mind are incomplete and dissatisfied. The third product launch was Jobs return to Apple which structurally makes sense. In today's world of apps and phones, it felt that there was more of the story to tell. I would have liked a flash forward or more about Jobs vision for the future. It was a bit of a flat ending, which needed to convey more of the triumph, arrogance and success. Danny Boyle's Slum Dog Millionaire left me feeling exhilarated and impressed with the view that he had given up something new and fresh. I wish I could say the same of the Steve Jobs biopic.
1. Setting - Almost all of the movie is set indoors around the product launches. Jobs moves from room to room to change the scene. It felt claustrophobic. The two scene which did provide a sense of space was when Jobs is with his daughter on the roof and also among the lights above the stage. As a viewer, I would have liked to feel more of the outside world, which I understand is tricky given that a product launch is in an auditorium and provides less scope for outdoor scenes.
2. Pace - The movie felt long and some scenes you wanted to scream hurry up! I am a fan of Sorkin but I am reminded of the West Wing when there were episodes when my mind would wander and this is not what you want in a script. Am I being too demanding as a viewer if I want to be immersed in a story and not thinking how much longer is this movie going to go on for? The flashbacks worked well to break things up and added another dimension to the story. These were effective but could have been used more with the ex girlfriend and daughter to form a more complete story and add to the drama.
3. The Ending - The two words which come to mind are incomplete and dissatisfied. The third product launch was Jobs return to Apple which structurally makes sense. In today's world of apps and phones, it felt that there was more of the story to tell. I would have liked a flash forward or more about Jobs vision for the future. It was a bit of a flat ending, which needed to convey more of the triumph, arrogance and success. Danny Boyle's Slum Dog Millionaire left me feeling exhilarated and impressed with the view that he had given up something new and fresh. I wish I could say the same of the Steve Jobs biopic.
The Verdict:
Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin's new Steve Jobs movie was good but not brilliant. I had high hopes that this collaboration would produce something quite remarkable given their previous projects, but there is no wow factor here.
