Jobs

After its cool reception in the US, I found this movie a pleasant surprise. It does not deal with Jobs’ private life, but with his role in Apple’s establishment and the first phase of the company’s existence. It delves into his personal life only marginally, for a quick outline of his character by showing his approach to unexpected life events (which he did not address in an exactly typical manner). The main focus of the narrative is his approach to professional events: his passion for his work and adamant belief in his vision. This, along with the profound ideas he continually expresses, makes this film inspiring and energetic; something that can give you a nudge in the right direction. Plus, it shows “how it really happened”, which will be relatable to all ambitious garage-based startup founders, who also struggle with their creativity being misunderstood by profit-seeking investors. Jobs is a pleasant and useful little film on the level of the “TVlike” Hitchcock, but of course it’s not as good as The Social Network, which is more refined in its screenplay and direction. Ashton Kutcher’s good. The fourth star in my rating is purely personal – I understood his every decision, urge and move, and even the glass table in his office was similar to mine. :-) (15.08.2013)

The events of the story are engaging and interesting, but unfortunately the film is completely brought to its knees by one major problem: Ashton Kutcher's lacklustre and dull performance; he simply can’t handle drama. I don’t know how Jobs was in real life, but I’m very sure he wasn’t a cold fish with the same set expression and slight smile. What's more, the film doesn't make it so clear what Jobs struggled with most – himself, his almost morbid perfectionism and uncompromising egotism, where he was willing to go over dead bodies – but in Kutcher’s interpretation he looks more like a puppy who occasionally barks and bares its teeth. All those casually thrown situations don’t really explain what Jobs’s greatness was. Better read Walter Isaacson's book, it is infinitely more engaging and dramatic. (17.11.2013)

Jobs was an incredible hard worker and visionary with a strong and inspirational character, regardless of how well the film is managed. In my opinion, it was maybe a bit short and sometimes too humorously presented. I would expect much more compelling plot twists in building the company, more psychology and moral dilemmas in the pursuit of fame that every successful entrepreneur has to overcome and solve, sacrificing something for something. Unfortunately, we don't get that completely here. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie, or rather, Ashton Kutcher's portrayal of Steve Jobs entertained me, he really tried hard. In some scenes, I could literally feel his frustration through the screen and most importantly, I understood him. (09.12.2013)

Actors are similar to their prototypes, which I appreciate. Michael Bay coughed up some resemblance in his "Sweat and Blood". However, it's not just about resemblance, but also about how they handled their roles. They took them on with skill and in essence, no one here ruins the whole movie from the characters' perspective. Ashton Kutcher doesn't stand out as much as other stars in the main roles of biographies, but that's good. Even Steve Jobs' life was about other people. Ashton sometimes exaggerates, but that's somehow part of him. Otherwise, he really tried and it shows. If he doesn't play in every garbage that brings him money, maybe he could still show the world that he is a capable actor. I'm quite curious about that. Otherwise, "jOBS" doesn't dazzle, but it's also not the flop I expected. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/09/jobs-2013-60.html (25.09.2013)