Though opinions tend to vary quite drastically on Steve Jobs the man, it seems that everyone’s in agreement about Steve Jobs the movie, which has garnered a rapturous response from critics out of its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival this past weekend.
Currently rocking a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are unanimous in their praise for Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of the visionary behind Apple, with David Ehrlich of Time Out calling his performance “miraculous”, while Gregory Ellwood of HitFix states that though Fassbender “doesn’t look or sound very much like Jobs”, his “impressive performance” still prompts “sympathy for an obviously stubborn egomaniac.”
Ellwood also celebrates the film’s “universally brilliant supporting cast”, particularly Kate Winslet as original Macintosh team member, Joanna Hoffman, who is receiving plenty of Oscar-buzz out of the festival.
Pete Hammond of Deadline has called the film “a companion piece to Sorkin’s Oscar-winning The Social Network screenplay — but even more effective,” which is high praise indeed, also stating that screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s writing makes the film “an action movie driven almost exclusively by words, a rare thing for sure in today’s visually driven cinema.”
Wozniak gives the film two thumbs up
Critical praise is one thing, but when Apple co-founder and lifelong friend of Steve Jobs’ Steve Wozniak applauds the film, you know it’s good.
Speaking with Deadline, Wozniak commended the film’s authenticity, saying “I saw a rough cut and I felt like I was actually watching Steve Jobs and the others, not actors playing them.”
Wozniak also stated that he gives “full credit to [director] Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin for getting it so right.”
This is encouraging to hear, as Wozniak was originally dubious about the film’s apparent inaccuracies based on its theatrical trailer, stating that he didn’t see himself in Seth Rogen, who portrays Wozniak in the film.
