STEVE JOBS the Movie

STEVE JOBS: The Movie.

I knew, before I saw this new movie, the rudimentary facts about Steve Jobs: he was one of the co-founders of Apple, Inc., thought outside of the box, and was universally acclaimed as a genius.

That said, this movie had me sitting in the theater in open-mouthed shock to see the dramatization of what he was like as a man.  The guy may have been ingenious, sure, but he was also quite lethal – and utterly clueless.  He’s so far into his own head that he’s also up his own ass.  He doesn’t have any sense whatsoever to realize how adversely his actions are affecting anybody else and comes across like a malignant force of nature.  A tornado, maybe.  Sweeping the world out of its way as it passes.

Cary Joji Fukuhaga did a fine job in directing this story, where most of the action takes place backstage before Steve’s various product launches.  Steve Jobs is played by Michael Fassbender, who may well win an Oscar for the portrayal.  There’s an outstanding supporting cast surrounding Jobs, and trying to humanize him, led by Kate Winslet as his assistant, Joanna Hoffman, and including Jeff Daniels, Michael Stahlbarg, and Katherine Waterson.  It’s hard to watch them try to knock some sense into Jobs’ thick head, but it’s equally hard not to.

It’s not exactly an uplifting story – it’s more like a disaster movie than anything else – but if you like character studies, have I got a movie for you!