I should admit some things as I share my thoughts on the movie, Steve Jobs. First, I am all-Apple. I made the leap as many did initially with the iPhone (I graduated from my not-at-all-smart Nokia to an iPhone 3G (or 3Gs? I don’t recall) around ‘08 or ’09. Then a few years ago, I went all in: iPad and MacBook. I added an iMac for work last year. And I want an Apple Watch so badly I can hardly stand it. 😉 Of course, I never have been an early adopter, so I’m probably content to wait for the Apple Watch 3. 😉
The other admission is my ignorance with knowing about Jobs. It was well after I went Apple that I could keep Gates clearly distinguished from Jobs. I know, right? But that’s me: I don’t pay attention to the names of CEOs (or band names or song names, etc.). And although I knew that some company or other was started in a garage by someone or another, I was not one to know the life story of such a person—or even his name.
So I did not see this movie because of fascination with Jobs as a man or mogul. Instead, I heard that this would be a great film. After all, it’s the time of year I start paying attention to the lists—ya know, those Oscar-prediction lists. Such lists are not always correct; many movies are included based on their promise and potential, not what is eventually shared on the screen. But still, I watch the lists, and I adjust my movie-going accordingly. Seeing Steve Jobs grew from that.
The movie is good. It entertains well. It isn’t a minutia-filled biopic; instead, it wonderfully captures highlights of Jobs’s career and persona by focusing on the hour or so before several major launches he participated in: the Macintosh, NeXT, and the iMac. Not only, though, is it not a traditional-trajectory biopic, I don’t think the movie is intended to be a factual account of what actually happened before these launches. But using the launches as a backdrop to share information about Jobs as a person, a businessman, a leader, a failed father—that technique was fantastic. By cramming so much in these hectic prelaunch moments, the movie maintains a fast pace with intense conversations and drama.
Not only does the script and pace entertain so well, the performances by Fassbender and Winslet shine. Kate Winslet is a gifted artist on film. Always. As for Michael Fassbender, it took me a bit to recall where I’d seen him before (12 Years a Slave, as the awful awful Epps). Epps as a person was awful; Fassbender’s portrayal of him was amazing. Interestingly, the evil that was Epps is hinted at when you see Jobs’s denial of paternity and callous nature. At the same time, Fassbender is able to, a moment later, show great humanity emanating from Jobs. It is the complex portrayal that held my attention for the entire movie, wanting to know more.
You need not be all-Apple to appreciate Steve Jobs as a great film. And you clearly don’t need to know about Jobs the man. The talent is strong. The story-telling is rich. The movie is great—probably not statue-earning-great, but I suspect it and its cast will be serious contenders.