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October 7, 2015 By iluvcinema 3 Comments

NYFF53 Recap: Steve Jobs (2015)

In the coming days leading up the theatrical release of Danny Boyle‘s Steve Jobs, I am sure you will hear/read the phrase “artful presentation” in some form or another. This post is no different 🙂

MICHAEL FASSBENDER portrays the pioneering founder of Apple in ?Steve Jobs?, directed by Academy Award? winner Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award? winner Aaron Sorkin. Set backstage in the minutes before three iconic product launches spanning Jobs? career?beginning with the Macintosh in 1984, and ending with the unveiling of the iMac in 1998?the film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
MICHAEL FASSBENDER portrays the pioneering founder of Apple in Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs is set up in three “acts,” centering on the moments prior to Jobs taking the stage to launch: the first Macintosh (in 1984), the Jobs’ post-Apple venture Next (in 1988) and lastly, the first iMac (in 1998).

Each of these events is punctuated by Jobs’ interactions with those who were closest to him, namely:

  • Macintosh team member and confidant Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet),
  • Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen),
  • former Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels),
  • former girlfriend and mother of his first child, Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston)
  • Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg) , a member of the original Mac team, and
  • his first child, daughter Lisa Brennan-Jobs (played by Perla Haney-Jardine, Ripley Sobo, and Makenzie Moss, respectively at different ages).

It is in these expository moments (woven with the present and past) that we are offered a revealing insight into the inner workings of a man whose personal life and interpersonal relations seemed at odds with the control he exerted in his professional endeavors.

I find it interesting that, although the film is loosely adapted by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network) from Walter Isaacson’s 2011 authorized biography of the same name (with additional information culled from interviews conducted by Sorkin himself), the film reaches its end in 1998, over a decade before Jobs’ passing. As you watch the film come to a close, you realize that this is not needed – the film has told you the story it wanted to effectively.

Initially I was not entirely sold on Michael Fassbender as Jobs (there I said it). When I saw the early trailers, all I could think was “hey, that’s Michael Fassbender.” Maybe it had something to do with not thinking Fassbender and Jobs shared any likeness, in either face or voice. But as I sat watching his performance, all those reservations floated away out of my head. I was taken in so much so that at one point during one of these “acts,” it took everything in my power not to get up and applaud what I had just seen on screen.

As (semi) regular readers to this site can attest, Kate Winslet can do no wrong in my book (not even in The Holiday). As Joanna Hoffman, Jobs’ right-hand-woman, she delivers another solid performance. And the same can be said for all of the ensemble – they  all deserve a round of applause for their work.

Steve Jobs (MICHAEL FASSBENDER) with Joanna Hoffman (KATE WINSLET) in ?Steve Jobs?, directed by Academy Award? winner Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award? winner Aaron Sorkin. Set backstage in the minutes before three iconic product launches spanning Jobs? career?beginning with the Macintosh in 1984, and ending with the unveiling of the iMac in 1998?the film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
Steve Jobs (MICHAEL FASSBENDER) with Joanna Hoffman (KATE WINSLET) in Steve Jobs.

The performances would (obviously) be nothing without the words. Sorkin’s trademark voice is clearly present, but it is not at all intrusive. Because of the way the story is told, Sorkin has structured Steve Jobs very similar to a play. In spite of this, in its execution, it does not feel stage-y. It’s an accomplishment to be sure and a wonder to observe.

Earlier, I used the term “artful” for a reason. As anyone familiar with the work of Danny Boyle knows, that while the stories and emotions surrounding his films are all too real and grounded, there are often moments during his films that enter a fantastical realm. And, as in other examples of his oeuvre show, these “escapes” in Steve Jobs do not take you out of the story, in fact, this approach kept me engaged.

As I wrap this up, let me just say that my praise for the film does come without a ‘warning’ – if you are expecting a straightforward recounting of Jobs’ life, you will not find it here. That said, I am willing to wager that in Steve Jobs, you will find no  better telling of Steve Jobs’ life and times that captures the spirit of a complicated and complex man, who did in fact, change the world.

Steve Jobs comes out Friday in select theaters with wider release a couple of weeks later.

 

 

Photo credits: Universal Pictures

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: aaron sorkin, danny boyle, kate winslet, michael fassbender, steve jobs, steve jobs movie

August 15, 2014 By iluvcinema 7 Comments

Frank (2014), directed by Lenny Abrahamson

Boy, I love going to screenings where the filmmakers are present. They offer so much insight into what we watch. And I especially love it when like in this case, they reaffirm some of my thoughts of the film.

Frank

Last week, I had the pleasure of catching Lenny Abrahamson’s latest feature, Frank, in a sneak peek/Q&A session with the director himself. But before I get too involved in a discussion of the film, two things – 1) I liked Frank and 2) consider yourself warned – this is not a film suited to everyone’s taste.

Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), our way into the story, is an aspiring musician who cannot seem to find his way. In a ‘creative rut,’ he has a chance encounter with Soronprfbs (don’t try to pronounce — seriously, don’t attempt it), a band playing a local gig, who just happen to be in need of a new keyboard player and so joins.

The band is led by the enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), who wears a fake head (see above); it is an understatement to say Frank has a rather interesting approach to spearheading the band’s creative endeavors. After being with the band for some time and coming to terms with his talent deficit, Jon decides his job is to raise this avant-garde group from the depths of obscurity into stardom. One major obstacle to him accomplishing this is his fraught relationship with the other members of the band, lead by theremin-playing Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

What struck me about Frank is the sharp shifts in tone; for the first three quarters of Frank, the audience is caught up in rapturous fits of laughs as a result of the absurdity on display of this band’s machinations.

What happens in the final act, however, is a bit jarring. At this point Frank decides to challenge the notions of the viewers and expose us to a raw, emotional truth. As Abrahamson takes us down this road, I felt myself going with him, even to the point of being quite moved by the time the final credits rolled.

Kudos to everyone involved with this project for bringing what on its surface would seem to be an impossible story to the big screen and making it both enjoyable and accessible to its audience. As the titular Frank, Michael Fassbender’s performance is an interesting one; in it, he has the tricky task of animating a character without the use of his facial expressions, and somehow it works and is not distracting.

Unfortunately for me, I have not been exposed to the musical influences referenced as informing the movie (Frank Sidebottom / Chris Sievey, Daniel Johnston, Captain Beefheart), save for what was revealed to me in interviews with the cast and crew. While this contextual information is fascinating, I do not feel it is essential to one’s enjoyment of the film. Rather purposely, the filmmakers, including co-writers Jon Ronson (screenplay for Frank is based on his memoir) and Peter Straughan, seemed to have taken the source material and broadened it out to not only explore the characters but to also take a look at other themes such as artistry, mental illness and their intersection.

I could not let it pass without briefly mentioning the music in the film. Everyone is actually playing their instruments and singing their songs (rounding out the band are professional musicians: Carla Azar on drums, and French actor/musician Francois Civil on bass). According to the press notes, the music performed was recorded live; that is quite an achievement. But, as for the actual sound? I will leave it up to you to decide how to classify it. But heed what director Abrahamson said during the post screening session – it is neither good nor bad. To intentionally make the band horrible, he continues, would be rather cliche. I tend to agree. Personally, I like to think that the musical sound resides in some abstract, obscure place.

So like I said in the beginning, Frank is not a film for everyone. From the offbeat presentation, to the music and the dramatic turn in the closing stages of the film, this may be a bridge too far from some moviegoers. Which is fine, but know that you are potentially missing out on a film that may surprise you in its ability to entertain you.

frank2

 

Frank opens today (August 15th 2014).

Photo Credit: Magnolia Pictures

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: domhnall gleeson, frank, lenny abrahamson, maggie gyllenhaal, michael fassbender

June 13, 2012 By iluvcinema 21 Comments

Quick Reaction to “Prometheus”

I will save the “good stuff” for my upcoming LAMBcast. But I thought I would take a moment to reflect on some of what I saw on Tuesday evening.

Things I liked about Prometheus:

  • The marketing: I know some people were a bit overwhelmed by the viral marketing campaign. In fact there were even times when I thought that it may be too much. But after watching the film I must admit that it really did not give too much away but instead provided some good context for the proceedings on the screen.
  • The acting: especially the thespian triumvirate of Theron, Fassbender and Elba. Oh yeah and Pearce, too
  • The surprisingly immersive 3D experience. Prometheus one of the few films that I did not mind employing the gimmick use of technology.
  • The set design: Director Ridley Scott outdid himself with the set pieces on this film it was in a word – beautiful.

The things I did not like about the film:

  • Plot details: I feel like there was too much stuff crammed into the film; a few plot details could have fallen by the wayside for the sake of a clearer narrative.
  • An ending seemingly designed to hint at taking the story further (likely a studio version) because I cannot imagine Scott would think of the Alien ‘progenitor’ all by himself.
  • Not enough Rafe Spall 🙂

Overall, despite some flaws, I enjoyed the film.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: charlize theron, idris elba, michael fassbender, prometheus, ridley scott

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