A Movie Review: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs. The movie opens with Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) and his marketing executive Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet) preparing for the launch of the Macintosh at an Apple Event. Apple fans are outside the auditorium, waiting for the doors to open. Yet, there is a problem. The Macintosh has a bug that prevents it from saying, "Hello." He also has domestic problems. He refuses to recognize that a child named Lisa is his biological daughter and he has issues with his ex-girlfriend.

The movie then continues through Jobs' forced exit from Apple, his launch of NeXT and his eventual return to Apple.  

This movie feels like a no holds barred look at Steve Jobs. I don't think that anyone can walk away from this movie without thinking that Steve Jobs was a jerk to his family and friends. He over-looked his flaws, but expected perfection and total loyalty from those around him. It also shows a man with a vision who fails twice, but keeps to that vision and eventually wins out. A complex view of an iconic man.

What do I wish the movie had dealt with? I wish the movie had looked into his involvement in Pixar. I'm actually not an Apple fan and don't know a whole lot about Steve Jobs, but based on the movie I can't help but wonder if he got involved with Pixar because it was a way to connect to his daughter.

One part of the movie I question: towards the end of the movie -- honestly, I don't think this is a spoiler -- Lisa is at an Apple launch event for the iMac. There is another parent-daughter argument going on and she refuses to meet with her father. Okay, so why even show up at the event in the first place if you're angry with your father?