CREDIT: UNIVERSAL PICTURES (2015)
As Steve Jobs' popularity stays strong, this biopic takes a more balanced approach to the most significant moments of his life.

Steve Jobs, in the few years since his death, has become the focus of an almost ridiculous amount of written works and movies. Focusing on three of the most significant product launches of his life (the Mac, NEXT and iMac), Steve Jobs presents a surprisingly balanced version of events that have become legend.

This is a movie full of names, almost to a dizzying degree. If you aren’t already familiar with the legends of the IT world, especially Steve Wozniak and Andy Hertzfeld, the beginning may be a bit of a confusing jumble. Every individual who should be represented is, with their best and worst qualities given full light.

Much of this is possible thanks to the absolutely incredible performances. Michael Fassbender, best known for his role in the X-Men prequel series as Magneto, is almost unrecognizable as he is absorbed into the larger-than-life personality of Jobs. Seth Rogan, normally a comedian, feels incredibly right as the genius Wozniak. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, a raw tension permeating the screen whenever they share a scene.

The entire cast manages to share at least some of this chemistry. Jeff Daniels as former Apple CEO John Sculley and Michael Stuhlbarg as Hertzfeld both have incredibly intense scenes with Fassbender. Despite her terribly inconsistent accent, Kate Winslet does a great job as Jobs’ right-hand-woman Joanna Hoffman.

The fantastic acting is assisted by the quality of the writing. Presenting a balanced view of a man who has been so idolized must have been difficult, yet for the most part, Jobs is shown as both brilliant and incredibly flawed. One almost wonders if the man was a psychopath, as he often seems to have an almost complete lack of empathy. It’s hard to be certain at any point if Jobs is being genuine or is simply manipulative.

There are also a ton of amazing burns and one-liners. Occasionally the friends and former friends are almost shockingly harsh with each other, passing beyond honesty into almost cruelly insightful jabs. If you appreciate a good insult, however, you’ll be sure to get a lot of enjoyment out of Steve Jobs.

The one complaint with the movie is the editing. For some reason at the beginning of the film a large amount of stylistic, but ugly, fonts cover the screen. Flashbacks are often far too short for the audience to catch; some are less than five seconds, meaning the scene barely registers before leaving view entirely. There are also moments of unnecessary bright flashing lights that are at best annoying and at worst are likely to cause seizures.

Overall, with the amazing acting and balanced approach, Steve Jobs may be one of the best versions of the story to come out to date. The focus on the people around Jobs, especially Wozniak and his daughter Lisa is truly refreshing.

While the editing is sloppy and Winslet’s accent is terrible, the on-screen chemistry is more than enough to make up for these flaws. After all, as the movie demonstrates, even the best of us are far from perfect.