Author: Jeremy Candelas

The line for director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s (The Social Network, The West Wing) latest production, Steve Jobs, extended well beyond the doors of Willard Straight Wednesday night, as Cornell students hoped to secure a seat for the free showing in Cornell Cinema’s 340-seat theatre. Slope Media was there, right in the middle of the action (best seats in the house, really) to cover the latest Steve Jobs biopic.

Steve Jobs transports the audience backstage of Steve Jobs’ life, or at least a version of it. Much like Sorkin’s previous work, The Social Network, the Jobs biopic does not aim to explicitly capture reality, but rather present a version of events that is (very) loosely based on reality. Those “based on a true story” taglines will get you every time if you’re not careful. In a way, the portrayal of Jobs almost seems to caricaturize his supposed need for control, and according to several close affiliates of Steve Jobs, presents an extreme exaggeration of his sometimes forceful and rude attitude towards others. Regardless, the movie provides an entertaining depiction of Jobs’ ever changing relationships with those around him, and the role that his volatile career played in the development of those relations.

 

To get the negatives out of the way first, noticeably lacking in the film was Jobs’ relation with Bill Gates and Microsoft. One would assume that this was due to a lack of time in which this particular relationship could be explored in a single film, yet it almost seems absurd that Gates and his company are nothing more than a side note in the story. Somehow even the Apple Newton received more mentions and screen-time than Gates and Microsoft combined. Many other important portions of the Jobs story were also noticeably left out (Pixar? Laurene Powell Jobs? The part where Lisa moves in with Jobs’ family?), but as mentioned, the film does not strive to be a perfect reflection of reality, but rather a loosely-based portrayal of who Steve Jobs was.

Despite these shortcomings, the film succeeds in numerous ways overall. The acting of all primary cast members is exemplary, stringing together a riveting dialogue in an almost effortless fashion, while simultaneously lacing their lines with passion and emotion. Combined with varying cinematography styles to complement each scene, the film is nothing short of a work of art. Overall the film presents a logical advancement of the storyline which manages to keep its viewers intrigued and enthralled at all times.

The film, spliced into three “acts,” takes place backstage for the product launches of the Macintosh, the NeXT, and the iMac. In a fairly unique aesthetic decision, each act utilizes a different method of cinematography in order or to accentuate the era, and to help differentiate between the three time periods. The first portion of the film takes advantage of a 16-millimeter film, giving it the characteristically grainy appearance. It then switches to the more modern 35mm film, before finally making the jump to a high-end digital film in the final act of the film.

 

Lead actor Michael Fassbender does a phenomenal job in his role, and the supporting cast follows suit. In particular, the dynamic between Jobs and Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) is particularly engaging. Although Fassbender is already being promoted as a potential Oscar nominee for best actor (and rightfully so) none of the cast should be overlooked for their roles in the biopic. Even comedic actor Seth Rogen managed to exceed expectations in his part as Apple cofounder, Steve Wozniak. Boyle and Sorkin managed to bring together a dynamic cast who integrated exceedingly well together to produce a gripping narrative.

Overall, the film is respectable in providing an intriguing, albeit a mostly-fabricated narrative of the life of the late tech mogul. While those expecting to see an authentic look into the life of Steve Jobs may leave the theatre empty-handed in that specific regard, they will still leave the film wholly satisfied with the powerful performance of its cast, and entranced by its outstanding usage of cinematography. Steve Jobs is well worth watching, and again, while not an entirely accurate narrative of events, provides a fresh perspective on the film’s namesake.