Scoring him a hat-trick of BFI London Film Festival closing galas after Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, Danny Boyle’s latest awards contender swept into Leicester Square last night. To unveil his second true-life tale Steve Jobs amid the deafening screams of fans, he was joined on the red carpet by stars Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels and Michael Stuhlbarg – rounding off another triumphant twelve days of cinema in the capital.
Like Boyle’s genre-spanning work to date, Steve Jobs is a provocative, uniquely built film that defies easy labelling. “I didn’t write a cradle-to-grave story or a cinematic Wikipedia page”, Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin asserted. “It’s just three scenes, each taking place in real time and told with all the energy of a prison break or a bank robbery.”
This triple-act structure unravels the personal and business life of the visionary Apple CEO, backstage at key product launches in 1984, 1988 and 1998. Sorkin’s dialogue springs ferociously from the page via a masterfully observed turn from Fassbender and Boyle’s typically surehanded direction.
“Traditional biopics have a problem, because you’re meant to research and rely on facts but they’re not solid” Boyle told **Empire **when asked about the film’s approach. “You can’t know if you weren’t there – and it’s more interesting to take evidence from people and put it in these concentrated arenas, these pressure points”.
This fresh spin presented its own set of challenges. “How do you make that cinematic? It’s literally the sound of his mind three times over, but with great actors you’ve got that potential.”
Among them is Winslet who plays Jobs' close confidant, Apple marketing executive Joanna Hoffman. “He was so much fun” she told **Empire **of working with Boyle. “He brings this great team spirit, equality and sense of collaboration which he starts in the rehearsal room.”
According to her character’s real-life counterpart, the result is a revealing tribute to a man who revolutionised the lives of millions. “Joanna herself saw the film and she liked the fact that Michael was able to show some of Steve’s real warmth.”
Steve Jobs is released in UK cinemas on 13 November 2015.
*Reporting by Alastair Livesley, with thanks to Go Think Big and O2. For amazing work opportunities go to Go Think Big.co.uk. *