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First 'Steve Jobs' review calls film 'must-see,' hails Michael Fassbender's 'enthralling' performance

Writer Aaron Sorkin's forthcoming "Steve Jobs" biopic screened at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend, and the first review has emerged with considerable praise, calling the movie an unconventionally constructed, "brilliant" piece of filmmaking.

Variety's Chief Film Critic Justin Chang lauded the film as a "must-see" for a number of reasons, including an unconventional storytelling structure, as well as "an enthralling performance" by lead actor Michael Fassbender, who takes on the title role of the Apple co-founder.

"This is a film of brash, swaggering artifice and monumental ego, a terrific actors' showcase and an incorrigibly entertaining ride," Chang wrote.

The critic noted that screenwriter Sorkin's take on Jobs, based on the book by Walter Isaacson, is not "the most comprehensive account possible," going as far as to say some of the dramatic creations are "outrageous." But much like Sorkin's Oscar winning film about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the film takes creative liberties to portray Jobs as those around him saw him.

In the words of Chang, the film presents Jobs as "both an iconic visionary and a monster with a silicon chip where his heart should be."

Directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle, best known for "Slumdog Millionaire," the film also stars Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak, Jeff Daniels as John Sculley, and Kate Winslet as former Mac marketing head Joanna Hoffman.

The film will also screen at the New York Film Festival on Oct. 3, where it will have the distinction of holding the prestigious "Centerpiece" slot. It will then open to the general public on Oct. 9.



48 Comments

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lord amhran 12 Years · 900 comments

It actually looks pretty damn good. Excited to see Fassbender's take on Jobs

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jameskatt2 16 Years · 722 comments

I'd rather skip it.

From John Gruber at DaringFireball.net:

JONATHAN KIM ON ALEX GIBNEY’S ‘STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE’

Jonathan Kim calls it “an Apple-hater’s manifesto”

Sounds like the film equivalent of Yukari Iwatani Kane’s book Haunted Empire — an attempt to fit the facts to a preconceived narrative, rather than craft a narrative from the actual facts.
 

ndirishfan1975 11 Years · 158 comments

[quote name="jameskatt2" url="/t/188049/first-steve-jobs-review-calls-film-must-see-hails-michael-fassbenders-enthralling-performance#post_2771379"]I'd rather skip it. From John Gruber at [URL=http://daringfireball.net]DaringFireball.net:[/URL] J[URL=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-kim/rethink-review---steve-jo_b_8087022.html]ONATHAN KIM ON ALEX GIBNEY’S ‘STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE’[/URL] Jonathan Kim calls it “an Apple-hater’s manifesto” Sounds like the film equivalent of Yukari Iwatani Kane’s book Haunted Empire — an attempt to fit the facts to a preconceived narrative, rather than craft a narrative from the actual facts.   [/quote] That's a helpful link... Except for the part where that is a completely different movie...

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nhughes 15 Years · 768 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by jameskatt2 
 

I'd rather skip it.

From John Gruber at DaringFireball.net:

JONATHAN KIM ON ALEX GIBNEY’S ‘STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE’

Jonathan Kim calls it “an Apple-hater’s manifesto”

Sounds like the film equivalent of Yukari Iwatani Kane’s book Haunted Empire — an attempt to fit the facts to a preconceived narrative, rather than craft a narrative from the actual facts.
 


"The Man in the Machine" is a documentary, and a completely different film, that you can watch on demand right now. The film this story is about, "Steve Jobs," is a scripted biopic that has not yet hit theaters.

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rtamesis 19 Years · 87 comments

Woz gives it a thumbs up. http://deadline.com/2015/09/steve-wozniak-says-steve-jobs-the-movie-gets-it-all-correct-1201516399/