LFF 2015: Steve Jobs ***

Love or hate the man, no one can deny the mark Steve Jobs made on the personal computer landscape. Would Apple be where it is today without his bullish vision? The initial fascination with this film, entitled Steve Jobs, is how Apple’s late ambassador became such a presence. Also, with news that whoever ended up portraying the man on screen had his very own acting mountain to climb by being in every scene, it’s Michael Fassbender’s performance as Jobs in the Danny Boyle/Aaron Sorkin film that’s equally intriguing.

We follow behind the scenes and watch how Steve Jobs ticks and grows a global brand – divided up into the run-ups to three iconic product launches, ending with the 1998 unveiling of the iMac. We see how the people who worked with him – Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet) and Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) to name a few – weathered the turbulent Jobs ride, as well as his relationship with a daughter, Lisa Brennan (played by Perla Haney-Jardine, Ripley Sobo and Makenzie Moss), who he initially denies is his.

Looking nothing like Jobs to begin with, Fassbender does a remarkable ‘Job’ (pardon the pun) of getting the essence of the man that by the time he dons that ionic black polar-neck sweater, jeans and round-rimmed glasses, the differences become acute. Without investing in the actor’s hard graft, we would have a hard time continuing watching.

Fassbender does have both Winslet and Rogen to thank, both of which are playing real, living people. Their characters’ interactions with Jobs are delightful to witness – though Winslet’s Polish-American accent as Hoffman is non-existent at the start but gets stronger as the pressure builds. This film is all about character building and acting. An extra treat as an Apple aficionado is the many nods to the brand’s history in the making to be thrilled by.

That said the rest feels like a rehearsal for something grander to be unveiled – it never reaches a heady, dramatic climax, unless you know a little about the Jobs-Wozniak history. Even the expected father-daughter schmaltz does little to elevate proceedings. It is understandably predictable, as we know the history, a major restrictive factor for any real-life biopic. Still, it’s a brave project for all involved and lifts the lid partially on the mystique of Jobs.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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