Steve Jobs

I have seen three feature films about Steve Jobs in the past two years. That's proof enough he had a huge impact on the world. The first film, "Jobs", had an appealing narrative but it was too focused on Steve Jobs' failures and not enough on his successes. "Jobs" also failed to depict its main character as relatable. The second film was the documentary "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" and it was better. Even though few people in real life understood Steve Jobs, his feature film depiction must be relatable somehow in order for drama to be achieved. Aaron Sorkin (who won an Oscar for writing "The Social Network") and Danny Boyle (who won himself an Oscar for directing "Slumdog Millionaire") center the story around Jobs' relationship with his daughter, Lisa. This creates the needed connection we as the audience must have with the main character. Even though I think that "Jobs" and "Steve Jobs" get the same rating, the later is slightly better than the former because of our ability to connect with the protagonist.

"Steve Jobs" does other things better than "Jobs" did such as the acting but not everything was perfect. "Steve Jobs" tells its story during three launches at different points in Steve's life with only glimpses of other important moments. As great as this idea is to tell Steve Jobs' story, it is a double-edged sword. I feel this script isn't as informative or powerful as a narrative that takes you to many places and events in the life of a true person. "The Social Network" was framed by two depositions but we got to see the characters in many different locations throughout its non-linear plot, from Harvard to California and even England. Not only is "Steve Jobs" entirely set in California but also its three main settings are three similar events. "Jobs" allowed us to see many more events in Steve's career. There was also more swearing in "Steve Jobs" and that bothers me. There are some noteworthy scenes in "Steve Jobs" that overshadow anything in "Jobs" thanks to the acting. I like the scene between Steve and Woz in the orchestration pit. Not only is it well performed but is it very well written. It continues the conflict of opinion between the men as to who gets credit for a product. The location of the scene is symbolic because just like Walt Disney before him, Jobs is a conductor. Metaphorically speaking, he does not create or even write the music but he is in charge of making sure everyone plays and performs on point. Both Disney and Jobs contribute somewhat to their products but maybe not as much as others. Steve is such a good conductor that he does deserve some credit. This sets up the showdown in 1998 between Jobs and Woz with everyone watching. Another dramatic scene that sets up a portion of the climax is the 1988 argument between Steve and John Sculley. The final scene between Steve and John before the release of the iMac is so positive and I love that. Both men resolve their differences and are left with regrets concerning what they could done together if John had not turned the Apple board members against Steve. I also enjoyed the creative montages in between each product launch. My favorite is the one that leads up to the iMac. I loved the "Simpsons" clip. The ending of "Steve Jobs" was better than the one on "Jobs". "Steve Jobs" may depict two product launches that failed and only one that succeeded but it's that last one that is most dramatic and it is satisfying. The movie ends on a high note unlike "Jobs" because that movie's high note wasn't high enough considering the number of setbacks that were depicted. Each of the scenes that Steve has with Lisa throughout the movie builds up to the climax. I like the fast cuts that show images of Lisa while Steve is practicing, representing his distractions of guilt. The two ending scenes with Lisa in 1998 have the conflict between them reach a peak but then it gets resolved on the roof.

The actors in "Steve Jobs" deserve much of the credit because they really pulled off Sorkin's Golden Globe-winning script. The Oscar nominations prove my point. Some actors who were up for the title role wouldn't have worked in my opinion such as Leonardo DiCaprio or George Clooney. Others who were in talks to star as Jobs include Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper but I think that Christian Bale would have been the best suited for the role. Even though Michael Fassbender doesn't look like Jobs as much as Ashton Kutcher does, Fassbender has his talent to rely upon. The approach that was used by all the actors in "Steve Jobs" is the same that Frank Langella used to play Nixon in "Frost/Nixon". There are just enough references to the real people from both a vocal and physical standpoint that allow the audience to accept the final versions of the characters. In Fassbender's case, his performance is so good and there is just enough of a resemblance to the real Steve Jobs that we believe what we are given. Fassbender garnished an Oscar nomination for Best Actor by the way. I could not recognize Kate Winslet at all during the film yet I knew that she had to be playing the part of Joanna Hoffman. She gives the best performance in the movie as a result even though Fassbender also gets high marks. The Hollywood Foreign Press awarded the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama to Winslet and while it was a surprise when you look at the list of nominees, Winslet deserved it. She also deserved her Oscar nominatinon for Best Actress as she spent a lot of time with the real Joanna. And now for Josh Gad versus Seth Rogan. Rogan provides more drama obviously and that stems from the screenplay and direction of the movie. If I were completely oblivious to his comedic work of the past, I would swear that he was a dramatic actor. The real Steve Wozniak was a consoltant on the movie to ensure historical accuracy. Sorkin talked with all the real people, including Lisa, while adapting this story into a script. One historical inaccuracy is that Joanna Hoffman retired in 1995. The filmmakers did use the real garage and filmed at the Flint Center as well as the Davies Symphony Hall (the actual locations for their corresponding scenes). David Fincher at one point was in talks to direct "Steve Jobs" and that would have resulted in a reunion with Sorkin. That is something I would have been very excited about. I was even interested in the news that I heard two years ago saying that Sorkin was both writing and directing this show.

Ever since "Jobs", I have been optimistic about this film. Even though I wasn't fully satisfied, the drama was genuine. The center of the story is the relationship between Steve Jobs & his daughter Lisa and that is always a great anchor for any movie story if done right. The talent both behind and in front of the cameras is impressive and everyone delivered some great moments. If I could have my wish, I would have had Aaron Sorkin write the screenplay for the film story of "Jobs" and then have it performed by Fassbender, Winslet, Daniels, etc. with David Fincher as director.

3.5 Stars