Vue Cinema’s Gary Prior shares his thoughts on Danny Boyle’s big-screen character study of the man himself, Steve Jobs…

“How come, ten times in a day, I read ‘Steve Jobs is a genius’? What do you do?”

Based on the book by Walter Isaacson, Director Danny Boyle and Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin bring an interesting, dialogue-driven movie that explores Apple’s co-founder, visionary and entrepreneur: Steve Jobs.

Beginning in 1984 and concluding in 1998, the film is set around three major product launches (Apple Macintosh, the NeXT Computer, and the iMac), and takes us behind the scenes to hear conversations held by Steve Jobs, and focuses on the relationships with his daughter and key Apple figures, including co-founder Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen).

The interesting thing about Steve Jobs is that it doesn’t follow the standard biopic formula. Most would follow the ‘greatest hits’ of the subject’s life, but this steers clear of the obvious milestones, and instead focuses on a look at how Jobs’ mind worked. In that sense, it’s less a biopic and more of a character study.

Every actor brings their A-game to this movie. Starting from the top, Michael Fassbender as Jobs himself doesn’t disappoint, and the role perfectly highlights his versatility as an actor. You really get a feel for how passionate Jobs was about the technology he was attached to, and how indifferent he was to the opinions of those he worked with.

With supporting roles from Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg, the film feels like a masterclass in acting. It’s not surprising that there’s Oscar buzz.

Even though Steve Jobs is dialogue based, it deserves credit for how much pace and energy it has. A dialogue heavy movie can often be hard work to sit through, but thanks to the brilliant writing of Sorkin, noted for The West Wing and The Social Network, and the directing style of Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later – this holds up as exciting throughout. The confidence they had to bring this version of Jobs to the screen should be applauded, and not unfairly criticised for not sticking to the traditional biopic formula.

Famous for his unique writing style, Sorkin employs his usual intense and emotional dialogue, while retaining with and a very real human element. Meanwhile, Boyle shoots each of the three product launches in different formats (16mm, 35mm, and digital), making it feels as though we’re moving closer to Jobs’ final technological vision with each passing scene.

It’s a shame this movie hasn’t received much commercial success or positive feedback in the US, but if you’re even mildly curious in the man behind our beloved Apple products, it’s worth checking out before it’s off the big screen.

Our Steve Jobs review was written by Vue Cinema’s Gary Prior. For more information on the latest cinema releases, or to book tickets, visit www.myvue.com.

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