Michael Fassbender plays Steve Jobs in the film about his life and Apple.

         by Sandra Olmsted

While the three act play structure of director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin makes the film drag, it is also one of the films most fascinating elements. Steve Jobs, the film, visits Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender), the man, at three critical moments in his work life –the launches of three of his major products: the Macintosh in 1984, the NeXT “Cube” in 1988 and the iMac in 1998.

As Jobs prepares to go on stage, he deals with personal problems and business challengers. A former girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston), claims Jobs is the father of her daughter, Lisa (played by Makenzie Moss, Ripley Sobo, and Perla Haney-Jardine over the course of the film). Even portraying Chrisann as rather crazy doesn’t make Boyle and Sorkin’s portrayal of Jobs less superficial. Jobs denies paternity, but sees Chrisann and Lisa before each launch and even supports them financially. Jobs’ marginal feelings for his could-be daughter are about the only humanity that Boyle and Sorkin allow in their caricature of Jobs.

At each launch, Steve Wozniak aka Woz (Seth Rogen) badgers Jobs to acknowledge the old Apple II team and the importance of that computer, and it’s a battle that gets little explanation of its importance to the history of Apple and Mac computers or company. Another backstage visitor, John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) offers fatherly advise despite at one point firing Jobs and probes Jobs’ complicated relationship with being adopted, but little is revealed of any real substance.

There are also two men and a women named “Andy” which adds to the confusion; Boyle and Sorkin even make a joke of it. For clarity, the last names of men should have been used and Andrea for the woman. The writer and director of a dramatic film is allows some license, and this one should have been taken.

Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), Jobs’ head marketing executive, tries to control the backstage chaos and keep Jobs focused on the launch.

Unfortunately, Winslet’s Eastern European accent becomes thicker the longer she works for Jobs, making her performance marginal at best. Rogen shines as the beleaguered Woz, who was with Jobs from their days of starting the business and designing their computer in a northern California garage.

Daniels performance is solid but small, and Lisa, who grows up, is played by three different actress, which means Fassbender needs to carry the film. Unfortunately, his performance as written, gives him little to work with, and he does little with what is there. It was an interesting way to structure the film, and had more been revealed about Jobs and, especially, about the other characters, it would have been more interesting film.

   Steve Jobs, the film, is too smart for it’s own good. Boyle’s use of cinematic storytelling is excellently although he also tends to also explain too much, and the use of grainy 16mm film for 1984, shimmering 35mm for 1988, and high-definition digital for 1998 might be lost on some viewers. Boyle tries to make a masterpiece, but Steve Jobs, the film, is neither entertaining or enlightening. Rated R for language and runs an interminable 122 minutes,

   Steve Jobs would have benefited from some tighter editing and more character development. Steve Jobs, a Universal Pictures release, is in theaters now.

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