Impeccably written, performed and directed, Steve Jobs innovatively and engrossingly depicts the man behind the visionary, as Michael Fassbender cements his place as one of the great actors of his generation.

Much has been written and said about Steve Jobs, the visionary who co-founded Apple Inc. and turned it into a multinational tech monster that has transformed the way the human race consume media and indeed connect with one another. Steve Jobs is film number three to portray the life and time of the turtle necked one, following TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley and little praised Ashton Kutcher vehicle Jobs. In so many ways Steve Jobs is the best so far.  

Divided into 3 acts with each act taking place before the launch of a key product – the Apple Macintosh, the NeXT Computer, and the iMac – this Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) penned, Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) directed biopic is as good as the sum of its high-grade parts suggests: a sleek, energetic, depth filled and riveting character drama that rather brilliantly delves into the disturbing faults and stubborn genius that was part and parcel of Jobs’ character.

Fassbender takes on the title role with immense skill and impressive range, with each depiction of Jobs life serving as an upgrade where while the vessel and its components are the same, yet new additions (physical, psychological and emotional) are featured, sometime to a detriment. It’s a challenging part which Fassbender absorbs with a frightful naturalism, gobbling up and spitting out Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue with an uncanny precision that is mesmerising to both watch and listen.

A fine supporting cast are more than game, especially Kate Winslet who nails both attitude and Polish-American accent as Jobs’ faithful marketing executive and confidant Joanna Hoffman, who appeals to the human within Jobs’ stubborn and at time monstrous personality.

Director Danny Boyle effectively presents many facets both ugly and admirable that make up Jobs’ persona, and does so to an expertly designed backdrop where period detail in set and costume are expertly represented, and subsequently captured and framed to pinpoint accuracy by cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler and editor Elliot Graham.

Steve Jobs presents the man behind the machine with a style and substance that ranks among the best of that year. An innovative and enthralling take on both a well-known personality and popular genre, such is the hope when brilliant minds converge as the do here.