Steve Jobs, the new film from British director Danny Boyle, opens in theaters on Friday, November 13.
Michael Fassbender plays the eponymous technology chief who co-founded Apple Inc. The film gives us a portrait of the man himself through three product launches ending with the unveiling of the iMac in 1998.
So is the drama worth watching?
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Steve Jobs (15) is a bold character study in three acts that the respected co-founder of Apple Inc. portrayed as a selfish, visionary and neglectful father with the same meticulous brushstrokes.
In the first act, 1984, Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) prepares the launch of the first Mackintosh, flanked by marketing manager Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), one of the few who tolerates his outbursts. When the computer’s voice fails, Steve insults the head of the development team, Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg). Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) watches from the wings and witnesses the birth of a monster.
In the second chapter, set four years later, Steve continues to clash with his first girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston), who claims he is her daughter’s father. Here we see Jobs preparing for the launch of The Cube, which he knows will be “the biggest failure in personal computing history.”
A bitter defeat turns into a sweet personal triumph in the final act of 1998, as Steve returns to the Apple group, ditches Sculley and prepares to dazzle the world with the iMac. The rivalry simmers, and co-founder Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) reminds Steve that leadership does not come at the expense of good manners.
who is in there
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Prometheus actor Michael Fassbender, Titanic star Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen from Knocked Up, Jeff Daniels from Dumb and Dumber, Michael Stuhlbarg from Hugo and Inherent Vice actress Katherine Waterston.
Is it worth a watch?
3/5
Critics and viewers’ response to Steve Jobs was somewhat mixed – so much so that the film was even pulled from more than 2,000 US theaters due to a lack of ticket sales. But don’t let that put you off.
Michael Fassbender gives an excellent performance as Jobs in Danny Boyle’s bravura portrayal of the revered Apple co-founder, which is neither a traditional biopic nor an exuberant hagiography. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who won an Oscar for The Social Network, may be in line for another golden mantle statuette here for his exemplary work.
Steve Jobs is another artistic triumph for Boyle, who stormed the Academy Awards in 2008 with Slumdog Millionaire. His camera glides through the corridors as the protagonist barks orders and demands nothing less than perfection.
While it’s sometimes a bit over the top and operatic for its own sake, those same flaws reflect the rough edges of the film’s iconic theme.
Where can I buy tickets?
Odeon, Cineworld, Vue and Reel cinemas are now taking bookings for Steve Jobs.