A Dynamite STEVE JOBS Overcomes Its Well-Tread Subject (Review)

I am a big fan of Danny Boyle. He's a director who utilizes the tools of the cinema to great effect. His films, including Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, and my personal favorite 127 Hours feature breakneck editing, split screens and hyper blocking to make films breathe and jump off the screen. A collaboration with Oscar winning writer Aaron Sorkin, famous for his talky, quippy scripts, feels odd but interesting. And then factor in the subject of this movie--a biopic about the Apple billionaire/traitor/punk/genius Steve Jobs, and the film is sure to be a firecracker.

Steve Jobs is one of many films, both narrative and documentary, to tell the story of Steve Jobs but it's claiming to be the definitive one. That's perhaps because of the pedigree both behind and in front of the camera. The film stars Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Oscar winner Kate Winslet (The Reader), Seth Rogen (Neighbors), Jeff Daniels (The Martian), Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Michael Stuhlbarg (Boardwalk Empire) and Perla Haney-Jardine (Spider-Man 3). The film is based on the biography of the same name by Walter Isaacson. The cinematography was done by Alwin H. Kuchler (Hanna), with editing by Elliot Graham (Milk) and a score by Daniel Pemberton (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.).

Rather than take a more traditional route for the biopic, Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle stage the film in three acts. Each act takes place right before Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) presents at a major tech launch. In 1984, there's the launch for the Mactintosh 128K. Then in 1988, we see Steve launch NeXT Computer after his ouster from Apple. Finally, in 1998, he introduces the iMac after returning to Apple in the early 90s. The film takes place almost entirely backstage at these huge events. Steve is with his PR director and trusted confidante Joanna Hoffman (Winslet) but he's also visited by various people in his life. His former partner Steve "Woz" Wozniak (Rogen) arrives to plea with Steve about giving him and his team proper credit. Steve's former girlfriend Chrissann (Waterston) is also there with her daughter Lisa  (played by Haney-Jardine, Ripley Sobo and Mackenzie Moss at different ages). Former Apple CEO John Sculley (Daniels) is also present, giving information about the corporate side.

Here's what I like about the structure: the film maintains a frenetic pace, with Steve rushing to start his presentations exactly on time and all these people from his life wanting to talk to him. Sorkin's screenplay is talky, with lots of amazing confrontations, funny quips, and heart-rending monologues. But Boyle executes it by keeping the actors moving at all times. They walk and run in and out of rooms and halls, with the pressure of time snapping at their heels. This is a film constantly in motion. Sorkin's script feels very much like it could be translated to the stage: ensemble cast of characters, dialogue-driven and even hints of Greek tragedy-style grandiosity.

Boyle's direction, his command over the editing and cinematography in Steve Jobs, make the film purely cinematic. I especially like the cross-cutting of present day and flashback, which adds some irony and tragedy to the movie. Both Sorkin and Steve Jobs are larger than life figures, but Danny Boyle will not be overcome by them. This is his film through and through. His staging of the dialogue-heavy feel scenes give the film an operatic/musical vibe. This is what separates Steve Jobs from other "troubled white male genius" biopics like the tame and dull The Imitation Game.

Sometimes, however, the film does feel like it's meant for those who already have an idea about Steve Jobs' life both with and without Apple. I was struggling to keep up with the technology and corporate intrigue. Like most of Aaron Sorkin's work, subtitles and closed captioning will be an effective tool for digging through the complicated material. On one hand, I applaud the lack of hand-holding. But on the other hand, the film is a little hard to follow.

I try not to fault individual films for bigger problems in the industry and our society as a whole. But I do have to mention that, despite its pedigree and overall high quality, Steve Jobs is yet another film revolving around a narcissistic, arrogant, borderline abusive white male, who nonetheless gets to be celebrated as a God for his professional achievements. The movie makes no qualms about tearing down the "Myth of Steve Jobs" as be-all, end-all of personal computing. But it does come dangerously close to excusing that bad behavior in light of Steve's influence on the market and his keeping some drawing Lisa made when she was 5.

I don't mention this to diminish the thrill of Steve Jobs, which remains a feverishly crafted and dynamite piece of cinema. Michael Fassbender delivers another thunderous performance. Much like his work in the Shame, 12 Years a Slave and Jane Eyre, his acting is full-bodied and without vanity. Steve Jobs may have been a monster and Fassbender depicts the narcissism, arrogance and tunnel visioned determination quite remarkably. Kate Winslet, determined not be overshadowed, makes her Joanna Hoffman more than a "supportive woman to male genius" by giving her character a lot of life and force. She gets a few showcase scenes that demonstrate why an Academy Award winner needed to play such a potentially thankless role. The "fix it" scene is really powerful, thanks in no small part to Winslet.

I've never seen Seth Rogen bare himself so emotionally as he does in Steve Jobs. As Woz, he is broken and vulnerable. Rogen is a perfect choice for this movie; his career is full of bro-comedies and he has that nerdy dude vibe so his emotional pleas feel earned and painful. Jeff Daniels is also giving a committed performance; he has an incredible screaming match with Fassbender that is terrifying. Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg are pretty good in the film, but the non-traditional format hurts them the most because a lot of their dialogue is exposition over what happened in between the acts. Perla Haney-Jardine is the heart of the film and her work is effective even at this early stage of her career.

 When it comes to box office, the movie is not doing great. It opened in wide release this past weekend and came in at #7. That's no surprise since no one involved in the movie is a major box office draw outside of the arthouse circles (maybe Seth Rogen but even he is outside his wheelhouse). I don't think Steve Jobs' Oscar chances live and die on box office. The film is critically acclaimed enough--especially for Sorkin and Fassbender--that it's still in the conversation. In a just world, I think it'll get 7: Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor for Fassbender, Supporting Actress for Winslet, Supporting Actor for Rogen or Daniels and Editing. Only time can tell. All I can say is go see Steve Jobs.

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