Below contains a review of “Steve Jobs”. Minor details are included and are necessary for a thorough analysis of the film. Read at your own discretion.

Steve Jobs – the name that has resonated around the world as the epitome of unwavering passion, pure innovation and extraordinary success. From an ordinary boy raised in San Francisco to the CEO of one of the most ubiquitous companies today, Jobs has inspired millions with his story and has left an indelible mark on the technological sphere. To commemorate his greatness, many books and films portraying his life have been produced in the past few years, with the most recent being the 2015 biographical film, “Steve Jobs”.

Directed by Danny Boyle, an English director known for the blockbuster films “127 Hours” and “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Steve Jobs” tells the story of the man behind Apple, beginning in the midst of his failed Apple Macintosh launch in 1984 and continuing on until the launch of the iMac, the product that propelled him to international fame. Along with the technological and managerial hardships he encountered on the path to success, Jobs also struggled with problems revolving around his friends and family, all of which are portrayed throughout the film. The film also excels at conveying the numerous qualities that Jobs’ critics and peers have described him to embody: influential, revolutionary, genius, heartless, imperious, unkind. It does this by depicting his interactions with others and his reactions to the various circumstances he finds himself in. Overall, the film provides an insightful and thorough look into Jobs’ life that is achieved largely due to the seasoned cast that the film features.

Jobs is played by Michael Fassbender, a highly experienced and critically acclaimed actor who is no stranger to representing dynamic and complex protagonists. Although he bears little resemblance to Jobs other than his iconic glasses and black turtleneck, Fassbender delivers a captivating performance that gives viewers a deeper understanding of Jobs and the way he is often perceived. Much of the film’s merit also stems from its supporting cast, with Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet taking on the respective roles of Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and Jobs’ associate, and Joanna Hoffman, Jobs’ steadfast confidante. Both of these actors, along with many others who are just as significant, fully immerse themselves into their parts and cause the intricate interplay among the characters to be depicted very realistically. Their mastery of their roles makes it easy at times to forget that they are still merely actors, and not the actual people they are playing.

Despite the film’s many successes, there exist a few areas that still warrant criticisms and that if handled differently, would have made “Steve Jobs” even more powerful and moving. For a film that relies so heavily on interactions between characters to communicate its messages to viewers, there are a number of instances when the dialogue is simply lackluster and as a consequence, inhibits the full elicitation of emotions the characters experience; this leads to a reduction in the overall impact of some of the most intense moments. Furthermore, according to individuals who knew Jobs and the details of the story, including Wozniak, some parts of the film are not entirely historically accurate and may have been fabricated to bolster its appeal and entertainment value. Although these negative aspects are certainly worth discussing, they are not poor enough to significantly take away from the film’s overall excellence.

In spite of its many outstanding qualities, “Steve Jobs” was a major flop at the box office, earning only half of its budget back and failing to attract moviegoers everywhere. The reason for this was not the film itself, but the fact that another biographical film about Jobs was produced back in 2013 (albeit how terrible it was). Perhaps this is the indication that any further attempts at depicting Jobs’ story in film will only suffer the same fate as “Steve Jobs”.

My rating: 8/10!