Ben Richter is a sophomore telecommunications major and writes film reviews for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Ben at brichter@bsu.edu.
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But the merits of this film are not won solely in comparison to its predecessor. In fact, “Steve Jobs” is a carefully crafted and fully detailed vignette of the Apple founder’s life. From top to bottom, the cast, though not looking especially like their characters in some cases, delivers a solid performance. While Fassbender’s Jobs is strong, the keystone of the ensemble is Kate Winslet. Her portrayal of the obliging, supportive and occasionally resolute right-hand woman was at once fantastic and subtle. Jeff Daniel’s Scully is worthy of note as well, delivering a powerfully reserved performance in contrast to the bombastic Jobs.
The movie follows three separate product releases: the Macintosh, the NeXT computer and the iMac. Draped around the implicit pressure-cooker of an imminent public announcement, the myriad of confrontations and flashbacks interconnects beautifully to create an atmosphere of high-stakes, personal ambition and private disarray. Despite this, one can’t help but doubt the number of meetings that actually took place in the thirty-minute timeframe before a product launch.
The emotional centerpiece, Jobs’s relationship with daughter Lisa Brennan and her mother Chrisann Brennan, falls short of creating a compelling emotional narrative. Character incongruity, for what I can only imagine being the sake of a nice bow at the end, cheapens the film noticeably but not absolutely. Whether it’s Jobs’s jarring denial of Lisa being his daughter or it’s a problem with the execution of this idea, it’s hard to say. Nevertheless, Jobs’ reactionary relationship with these two characters seems unrealistically harsh in the beginning.
From a technical perspective, the film delivered on all metrics. The cinematography, by Alwin H. Küchler, whose credits include “Hanna” and “Divergent,” manifests the developing aesthetic of Apple itself. This includes film changes from 16mm to 35mm, to digital cinematography as the plot progresses through each new product launch. A specific shot of Fassbender close-up wearing the iconic Jobs glasses, used in the trailers, gave the impression of looking at a brand-new iPhone. The score was understated, taking a backseat to the rapid-fire dialogue.
Bottom line, “Steve Jobs” is beautiful, well-acted, well-written and so-so on emotion. A perfect watch for anyone interested in the man behind the brand.
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