... in that you can argue about almost every stroke in the painting, yet when you stand back a few feet from the work, you realize that this is a more accurate portrayal of Steve Jobs than any photograph could be.
For example, Michael Fassbender looks nothing like Steve Jobs did at any point in his adult life, sounds nothing like Steve Jobs did. Yet, by the end of the film you feel that you are looking right at the man. Why? Because every incident portrayed sounds EXACTLY like something Steve Jobs would have done or said even if the entire incident never happened.
Kate Winsett gave an Oscar worthy performance as Joanna Hoffman, Jobs' marketing expertise and confidante, if he had any confidante at all. She acts as his conscience, his anchor, yet she actually wasn't there for a third of the film. Hoffmann retired before Jobs went back to Apple. As for Seth Rogan as Steve Wosniak, what can I say. He blew me away as he stood toe to toe with Fassbender in a show down that took my breath away with its intensity, and he stole the entire scene from Fassbender, proving he is much more than just the comic relief of Judd Apatow films.
Jeff Daniels as the conventional CEO John Sculley, recruited by Jobs to deal with a most unconventional visionary in a pioneering industry, absolutely nails the part. The scene towards the middle of the film where Sculley and Jobs have it out is a work of art in itself of dialogue, editing, and acting, and the time shifting between the present and various pasts of their relationship is expertly done.
As for the plot? It takes place entirely at three product launches - the Mac in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988, and the iMac in 1998, and the central theme is Jobs' relationship with his daughter Lisa, the paternity of whom he did not come to terms with for years. Of course, if Jobs had even one product launch like the ones in the film with everybody he's ever known approaching and reproaching him, Jobs would have had security like the secret service at every launch afterwards.
So don't approach this like a documentary, instead approach it like the art it was meant to be and I think you'll enjoy it greatly. And regardless of what others say, I think it gives the most humane portrayal of Jobs I've seen on film. Strongly recommended.
