Genius. Icon. Visionary.
A few select words that are used to describe the late Steve Jobs. In the public eye we saw him as the head of Apple and the reason why the company is the technological juggernaut it is today, but that is all we see. Danny Boyle and Aron Sorkin however bring to light the man behind the stage at those press conferences, and show the man with a vision, a drive, and a willingness to step on and over people to succeed.
The ferocious nature of the film is rather unexpected considering the subject matter. Despite the movie being practically all dialogue, each interaction of the characters turns from an argument to a shouting match that is more akin to a fist fight. Normally this would only be enthralling when backed by stellar acting but the writing is so sharp, so focused that the dialog itself takes precedent over the actors.
The performances are not to be overlooked though, Michael Fessbender, Kate Winslett and Jeff Daniels bring more vigor to each scene than thought possible. A real standout performance comes from Seth Rogan as Steve Wozniak that displays his dramatic capabilities which are 'not bad' leaning towards 'pretty good,' with hopes of improvement and expansion into different rolls.
What the film depends on the most is the depiction of its characters, and to peer into the events that made Steve Jobs into the figure that we remember him as. In the film all the problems and all the drama seem to occur five minutes before each press conference which should be taken with a grain of salt. Did those events play out that way? Possibly, but what they serve is the Steve Jobs character and giving an insight into his thought process and true personality, as a vicious and tactical person. Despite what the surface of the film maybe, at no point does this become a smear campaign. The film is not meant to belittle but to show that he is human and that while we, the public, bestow Steve Jobs with titles and adjectives meant to heighten him above everyone else, he is still a flawed human with strengths and multiple weaknesses that falls at his own hubris.