Michael Fassbender brings to life the man behind the iPhone in Steve Jobs [Review]
Director Danny Boyle's bold, three-act biopic Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of three Apple product launches. As the clock counts down to showtime and tensions mount, an overbearing Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) bullies whoever turns up to annoy him, whether it be Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen), Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels), or his ex-girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston), who brings along their daughter to ask for money. The only person who can ground him is his marketing executive Joanne Hoffman (Kate Winslet).
While Jobs is depicted as an obnoxious jerk stubbornly obsessed with detail, his dynamic with the other characters is mesmerising to watch. Fassbender's commanding performance, enhanced by a strong supporting cast, ensures viewers are captivated from the word go.
With frequent close ups and split-second flashbacks inserted between conversations, the film manages to be gripping despite never leaving backstage. But it falls short by failing to offer a deeper and more rounded treatment of Jobs' character, which only develops towards the last ten minutes of the film.