Two Jews On Steve Jobs

‘Steve Jobs’ directed by Danny Boyle and written by the uber talented Aaron Sorkin, is a journey into the mind of a visionary who changed our world. The man, Steve Jobs, brilliantly portrayed by Michael Fassbender could not write code but he had imagination and the smarts to surround himself with geniuses, including his partner tech wizard Steve Wozniack (Seth Rogen)/

The film is written in three acts consisting of a backstage crisis that unfolds in real time right before Jobs launches a new product…The Mac in 1984, the NeXT’s black cube in 1988 and finally the IMAC in 1998.It’s during these tense backstage moments, we get a great insight into Job’s abrasive, cruel, hurtful, selfish personality. We meet his high school girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) and their five year old daughter (the wonderful Makenzie Moss). Jobs denied that he was the child’s father for several years until he realized that Lisa was a genius in her own right.

Jobs was an obnoxious tyrant to practically everyone around him including his software designer, Andy Herzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg) who Jobs threatens to publicly humiliate unless he makes the MAC say hello. Jobs was a self centered control freak and it’s hard not to despise him for most of the film. The only person he treats with respect and at times listens to is Joanna Hoffman (the fabulous Kate Winslett). Joanna is his head of marketing as well as his pseudo wife/mother/friend and at rare times, Jobs’ conscience.

Sorkin writes with an intense musicality that keeps propelling the film forward making it absolutely riveting to watch.. The rest of the cast including, Jeff Daniels as the head of John Scully, the head of Apple and Perla Haney-Jardine, who portrays Lisa at 19, when she was a student at Harvard, are all excellent.

You may leave the theatre hating Steve Jobs but you’ll definitely leave loving this film. ‘Steve Jobs’ opens in theatres, Friday October 9th. Check out my video to see how many bagels I gave it…Hint…more than 41/2. Love to know what you think.

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Joan and John Schwartz

Joan and John Schwartz are ex New Yorkers, living in Los Angeles. They are married and see a lot of films. They usually disagree but always tell it like it is. John is most famous for creating the cult classic films Faces of Death. He has also written for various prime time series and has written movies for both Showtime and HBO. In the world of reality television John has produced, written and directed over 450 segments for various magazine shows He has also written and Executive Produced several Prime-Time Specials. Joan has appeared on the New York Stage on and off Broadway…and has been in several Los Angeles theater productions as well.. Joan has been in several low budget films and at present she is busy writing screenplays with her husband, John.

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