STEVE JOBS

It's a long time since I've watched a film quite as intense as this one, which is weird given that when all's said and done it's just about an IT guy, and there are no life-and-death issues at stake.

We spend the entire running time with Jobs, just before product launch presentations at three key points in his career.  In each one he has to handle people who are important to him in either his personal or professional life.  They all seem to want something from him, which he can't or won't provide.  This tight and repetitive structure makes for a claustrophobic and gripping viewing experience.

It also makes for a very wordy film, just one damn conversation after another. 

Fortunately the words are provided by Aaron Sorkin.

We know that Sorkin can deliver witty and sparkling dialogue.  Here though that wouldn't work, given that Jobs is portrayed as an uncompromising pain-in-the-arse. 

Sorkin rises to the challenge.  The screenplay is a masterclass in establishing what is at stake for each character, and getting us emotionally involved, even to the extent that by the end I desperately wanted Jobs to do as Steve Wozniak pleads, and give a shoutout to the Apple II crew (what?).

And let's give credit to Danny Boyle's unobtrusive directing, and to the cast, especially Michael Fassbinder as Jobs, and Kate Winslett as his ultraloyal Marketing Executive.

RATING: ✓✓ Catch It If You Can