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| Fassbender gives one of his greatest performances to date. |
Directed by Danny Boyle
Produced by Danny Boyle, Guymon Casady, Christian Colson, Mark Gordon and Scott Rudin
Written by Aaron Sorkin (book by Walter Isaacson)
Starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg
A
After a failed 2013 release starring Ashton Kutcher, Steve Jobs is the subject of another film, which examines three periods of his life. In 1984, Jobs (Fassbender) struggles to make the Apple Macintosh launch a success, while dealing with his ex-girlfriend (Waterston) and young daughter simultaneously. Jobs then tries to launch the NeXT Computer in 1988, having been ousted at Apple. Despite a lot of chaos, Jobs returns to Apple and launches the iMac in 1998; and he even reconciles with his daughter, after a rocky relationship over the years. It might be a segmented structure, but Jobs is fascinating in all three acts.
Danny Boyle’s new film is a high-energy character piece, driven by fierce performances, biting dialogue (as only Aaron Sorkin could write), fast cuts, and a pulsating soundtrack. As advertised, Michael Fassbender disappears into the role. For all the talk about the lack of resemblance to the real man, Fassbender simply is Jobs from the first scene. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet shines as Jobs’ assistant/confidant, and the performances from Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Katherine Waterston round out a fine cast. While the actors are given a wealth of great lines, Boyle’s direction is a huge reason the film works. It’s a lean piece that hits the ground running, and for two hours the viewer gets to try to keep up. Really, this is great filmmaking, punctuated by a crackerjack screenplay and an outstanding lead performance. Biopics can be so stale, but Steve Jobs throws the formula out the window, producing one of the year’s best films.
Oscar Potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress (Winslet), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score
I'm so intrigued by this, especially those performances. It feels like the buzz is starting to fade on its Oscar potential, outside of Winslet being a clear lock. Still, I'm excited to see it!
ReplyDeleteI think Fassbender is more of a lock, actually. And he deserves it. Hopefully, the film doesn't fall through the cracks this awards season.
DeleteEasily one of my favorites of the year. Didn't really envision Fassbender in the Jobs role, but damnit he pulled it off.
ReplyDeleteYeah, mine too. I didn't really expect that performance, but he's amazing in the role.
DeleteGreat review! I'm not sure if Winslet will get in on the Oscar race or not. Fassy certainly deserves to be there.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think there's room for both of them, unless Best Supporting Actress suddenly gets stronger.
DeleteGreat review! I'm looking forward to this mostly for Fassbender. How was Rogen?
ReplyDeleteThanks! Rogen is great. If he had a few more scenes, I could see this being his "Jonah Hill in Moneyball" role.
DeleteI loved this! I thought Sorkin's writing was excellent and I loved the performances, especially from Fassy. What a thrill it would be if he got nominated. Hopefully, the film doesn't get hurt by its bad box office.
ReplyDeleteI think the film can still get a few Oscar nominations. Maybe even a Best Picture nom, if there are 8-9 nominees.
DeleteI was surprised by how terrific this film was, even though I had just read an article outlining the innacuracies of the story. It took A LOT of liberties from the real story but hey it's not a documentary and so as an artform this is an excellent film. Not sure what Fassbender's best performance is as I haven't seen too many of his work, but he's certainly good here. I was also impressed by Winslet and Jeff Daniels.
ReplyDeleteYeah, as a film it works quite well, even if it takes a lot of liberties. Winslet and Daniels were solid, for sure, but it's Fassy's show.
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