Why these two Steve Jobs biopics are not the same

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has been the subject of two major films:
'Steve Jobs' is by Aaron Sorkin/Danny Boyle and stars Michael Fassbender. Despite few people seeing this film I have long thought that it is a brilliant and underrated take on the biopic genre.
The other movie it 'jOBS,' starring Ashton Kutcher and is representative of everything wrong with modern biopics.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
6:20 - Part 1 | Structure
14:43 - Part 2 | Look & Sound
22:00 - Part 3 | Accuracy
27:38 - Part 4 | Performances
39:09 - Part 5 | Story
Music used:
'Analog Memories' - Nick Kelly
'1986' - Angel Salazar
'Morning Sunbeams' - Yehezkel Raz
'Charon' - Yehezkel Raz
'Iramasa' - A.M. Beef
Various clips from the 'Steve Jobs' soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton

[@shitty_beatles]

Convinced _Jobs_ was made solely because Matt Whiteley saw a photo of young Steve Jobs and thought it was a photo of Ashton Kutcher. I've been there. We've all been there.

[@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747]

If only Asthon could act.

[@MrMightyZ]

@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 Dude!

[@TheMikeMase]

@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 i actually think ashton did a good job, the script was just bad

[@pdcdesign9632]

@@TheMikeMase Fassbender looks nothing like Jobs. At least they could have dyed his hair dark. I don't care how good the script was, they picked the wrong actor.

[@cami5173]

@@TheMikeMase could you point to something where you like Kutchers acting? I haven’t seen something I like him in yet

[@WhaleManMan]

Can't believe you're finally talking about my favorite 60s musician

[@enshen2190]

I mean he is from the Apple Records label so no wonder!

[@someguyorfemaleontheintern5837]

My favourite album from him was Black Turtleneck. What a masterpiece.

[@thareelhelloagain]

@@nicolashalbleib6237 My favorite was always "Fruit Only Diet".

[@zachariah7114]

@@someguyorfemaleontheintern5837 my favorite was the album cover where Steve, Woz, Mike Markkula, and John Sculley are all walking barefoot across the street. I think it was titled "Infinite Loop" iirc.

[@sussvarman]

@@someguyorfemaleontheintern5837 i love his earlier stuff, especially "I Smell so Bad (Atari Nightshift)"

[@AarmOZ84]

I like how Zen the Steve Jobs (2015) movie was. The 3 Acts were obvious, the 5 conflicts were also obvious, and even the theme of seeing what is happening behind the curtain as symbolic metaphor for peering into what made Steve Jobs ticked was beyond obvious. And because of its simplistic, artistic direction.... it felt like a creation of Steve Jobs himself.

[@malcorub]

If you don't already know the man's story, Steve Jobs (2015) is hard to follow along. This movie is for folks already familiar with him and the sequence of events.

[@varunemani]

Right so Danny 'Brit boy' Boyles version is just an old English stiff cold needlessly OVER INTELLECTUALISED movie, and over all forgettably unwatchable and boring movie (Except maybe if you are one of those stiff cold boring english crowd of people). For the rest of us 'sane' Canadians and Americans, Kutcher is and will remain the definitive Steve 'American icon' Jobs, something by the way a boring english actor like Fassbender can never achieve the level of mass appeal / likeability to a North American audience! Its like picturing a American born actor playing James Bond.. simply wont work no matter how much Danny Boyle or anybody tries to force it.

[@yourneighbormordecai]

@@varunemani Bro not even American audiences liked the Ashton Kutcher Jobs what the hell are you talking about

[@yourneighbormordecai]

@@varunemani Also what do you have against Brits lmao. Plenty of Brits have played Americans just fine, like Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Trilogy. The more I read your comment the more I'm convinced you're either the director or writer of Jobs and you're still salty it didn't get an Oscar lol.

[@wolfhaley6900]

@@yourneighbormordecai CHRISTIAN BALE IS BRITISH?????

[@gabrielgodwin7822]

Seth Rogan as Woz was a genius casting. Adored that film so much, it’s in the top twenty films for me beyond even the biopic genre.

[@BugsyFoga]

As a kid I always thought it was fascinating that we got two Steve Jobs biopics in the span of two years.

[@Stranger_In_The_Alps]

We only got one. We don’t speak of the other one

[@cegalo12]

I think it happened because Steve Jobs just died, and many movie studios were like "Stonks!"

[@user-ux1vj9vx7s]

@@cegalo12 Stonks? What were you trying to say?

[@lykukned1]

@@user-ux1vj9vx7s stonks is an internet joke for money

[@tomsmith6513]

You were a kid when they were made? Wow. You must be quite young. (Sorry, that wasn't meant as an insult. I'm just in a joking mood.)

[@erikdaniels0n]

I truly think that the Boyle/Sorkin movie choosing to only focus on a few very key moments in Jobs’ life and career and tell the stories of those moments as thoroughly as possible is a much more engaging formula than a cradle to grave biopic. Honestly, my favorite biopics of the last few years have been ones that have put unique spins on the genre (Jackie being a very internal and introspective character study about Jackie Kennedy’s life directly before and after the JFK assassination, Rocketman turning Elton John’s life into a lavish movie musical)

[@seraiharper5553]

I believe that biopics should always come in the form that the subject worked in. Thus, "De-Lovely" is a Cole Porter musical, "Dragon" is a Bruce Lee kung fu flick, "Man in the Moon" is a mind-bending uncomfortable sorta-comedy, etc. I look forward with great interest to the horror film that will be made about Stephen King.

[@BenCol]

@@seraiharper5553 ‘Ed Wood’ is another good example, paying homage to the era and style of the films of Ed Wood.

[@seraiharper5553]

@@BenCol Indeed! Though it was not as low-budget as Wood's actual work, it was a work of fantasy which portrayed him as winning the love and respect he craved. It was the movie about him that HE would have made.

[@justagirl36]

@kshamwhizzle It was!!! Still upset that Margot Robbie didn't get an oscar for that!! She was robbed imo!!!!!!!!!!

[@walrustargaryen7794]

My regret is that the only movie I waited all year was pretty much the Wikipedia versión of Elvis's life. A three simultaneus arcs of Elvis like in the Fassbender Jobs would have worked better, IMO. Not just a greatest hits (even worst, they took the White House visit and the MSG shows away), they treat Elvis as a normal naive person. It wasnt. It was extravagant and out of this World.

[@ROBYNMARKOW]

I like to think that Michael Fassbinder's performance was similar to that of Meryl Streep's in "The Devil Wears Prada". In the book,Miranda Priestly was v. shouty & neurotic but in the film version she was quietly menacing & much more nuanced which worked perfectly for that medium 👌

[@GaffsNotLaffs]

I completely agree that it doesn't really matter how much the actor looks like the person, but I do find it absolutely mind blowing how much Ashton Kutcher looks like young Steve Jobs.

[@IvanTheHiro]

I really hope Steve Jobs (2015) becomes more well-known as a fantastic movie as the years go on. The film and Michael Fassbender as an actor have been so underrated for too long.

[@varunemani]

Right so Danny 'Brit boy' Boyles version is just an old English stiff cold needlessly OVER INTELLECTUALISED movie, and over all forgettably unwatchable and boring movie (Except maybe if you are one of those stiff cold boring english crowd of people). For the rest of us 'sane' Canadians and Americans, Kutcher is and will remain the definitive Steve 'American icon' Jobs, something by the way a boring english actor like Fassbender can never achieve the level of mass appeal / likeability to a North American audience! Its like picturing a American born actor playing James Bond.. simply wont work no matter how much Danny Boyle or anybody tries to force it.

[@LiamHagan]

I think it was already that the day it came out. Definitely a palate cleanser!

[@rippspeck]

@@varunemani Fassbender is German-Irish, you prejudiced smoothbrain.

[@paulsynnott2709]

@@varunemani "needlessly OVER INTELLECTUALISED" Translation: "It went over my head so it obviously sucked."

[@RachelMay1989]

I don't think it's a coincidence that two biopics you (correctly) point to as the best examples of how good and artistic the genre can be (this and Love and Mercy), approach their stories by looking at a small number of moments in time, as opposed to attempting to sum up the totality of a life. To me it feels like the micro stories tell you more about the person than the macro, however counterintuitive that idea feels. Plus, why would you even bother making a 'traditional' biopic when Walk Hard The Dewey Cox Story exists and is great.

[@crieverytim]

I've never seen a biopic attempt to depict the totality of someone's life. that would be foolish. the very format would have to be more like a series of vignettes unless you are doing a mini series

[@HungUpOnADream1122]

Ugh, Love and Mercy was so fuckin good.

[@Woozy.0]

Dewey Cox is basically the perfect biopic, down to the incredible soundtrack

[@varunemani]

Right so Danny 'Brit boy' Boyles version is just an old English stiff cold needlessly OVER INTELLECTUALISED movie, and over all forgettably unwatchable and boring movie (Except maybe if you are one of those stiff cold boring english crowd of people). For the rest of us 'sane' Canadians and Americans, Kutcher is and will remain the definitive Steve 'American icon' Jobs, something by the way a boring english actor like Fassbender can never achieve the level of mass appeal / likeability to a North American audience! Its like picturing a American born actor playing James Bond.. simply wont work no matter how much Danny Boyle or anybody tries to force it.

[@Oscuros]

@@varunemani you don't come across as really insecure and easily intimidated at all, you know that. I've never really seen "stiff cold boring" used in grammatically the wrong order like that used as a valid form of criticism of anything and more like some sort of immature emotional reaction to something. Are you sure you wanted to write that out loud to strangers like that? Why can't you think of something about how the Two stories matched up, or what they emphasised as being better for you one way or the other, like everyone else has and instead seem to rely on the fact that you personally don't like Fassbender much? Because he gets a lot more work than Kutcher and has more accolades, like a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Kutcher, who is mostly known for his TV work has mostly Teen Choice awards, speaking of "mass appeal", Fassbender is also Irish, but born in Germany, I know it's all the same to you, but maybe that might help you with that massive English boner you seem to have as a foreigner in English, as it were. You can't project your rather massive insecurities onto actors on a screen doing a job, and if you don't like talking and it hurts your brain, well then, that's why you mop my floors or flip my burgers, or deliver my Amazon, isn't it, and maybe just stick to that instead of with trying to articulate why you don't like competence so badly to strangers and can't think of one rational reason that doesn't instantly show up how clueless you are.

[@TheGoldenboyo]

Although the Kutcher version did not receive as much critical acclaim, I can’t help but think that Ashton was never given the credit he deserved for how accurate his portrayal of Steve was. He absolutely nailed Steve’s voice and mannerisms in a way Michael didn’t. But as you pointed out, Ashton’s movie emphasised the ‘wiki accuracy’ whereas Michael was more captivating as he was clearly leaning into other darker aspects of Steve’s life for his performance. Loved both films.

[@sunkintree]

Fassbender's was more about Steve Jobs as a person. Kutcher's was about Steve Jobs as the leader of Apple. Fassbender is good for what it is, but I don't know about you, I just never thought to myself "wow you know what would be great, a whole movie about how Steve Jobs failing at being a father, that's what I'm most interested in" Kutcher's is better.

[@user-ft6wo8rs5g]

Ashton was laughably bad

[@TheGoldenboyo]

@@sunkintree Hmmm. Nice take and yeah completely agree. It still kinda bugs me that majority of people culturally reference Fassbender's version because I enjoyed Kutchers so much more. Fassbender's clearly has wider appeal as it panders to the critics who love a cynical angle. Kutcher is defo more of a purist/origins story which is why I love it so much.

[@Donyourmom]

It’s not his fault, the script was so bad he couldn’t even save it.

[@harold3165]

Nah, Kutcher did a horrible job. It was like an SNL impression.

[@amandasunshine2]

"None of it happened, but it's all true" I feel like that sentence sums up so much

[@trevorganoe748]

I saw “Jobs” around when it came out. My mom ended up having such a negative impression of him that she said she would never buy an Apple product again; then she felt bad when she realized he had just died.

[@Stranger_In_The_Alps]

Jobs humbled her and he wasn’t even alive. Based ledge

[@jothishprabu8]

You shouldn't buy apple products anyway considering they are a big scam

[@tomsmith6513]

Things often change when people die. When my dad died, my views on the conflicts we had changed. It was frustrating that he often didn't understand my problems and struggles. He often criticised and sometimes even insulted me over what he believed were bad and stupid decisions, but there was something more important than that: he gave me a life and a good financial foundation. He was always there. I came to see that life was a gift. I appreciated what he had given me, what he left behind. It's like what happened when the Queen of Britain died. Whatever people had against her no longer mattered. People saw her death as a loss, that things were better with her around than not.

[@cjaquilino]

Your mom’s initial reaction was right, regardless of whether he died or not. That was unfortunate but it doesn’t undo the bad things Jobs did either.

[@cjaquilino]

@@tomsmith6513 As someone with ancestry from a former British colony, a lot of us were glad she died. She presided over quite a lot of our suffering in the world.

[@nurturingcompassion]

Wow, that Danny Boyle interview clip really sold me on the whole movie’s approach. He’s right. Steve Jobs whole mantra was “think different”, and they embodied that beautifully in the film by portraying the themes and key feelings that sum up Job’s life. Rather than checking boxes, it becomes, like you said, an impressionist painting that can deliver more truth than a photograph.

[@timber740]

I watched the Fassbender movie during my elementary years with my father. At the time I couldn't understand anything that was happening during those crucial moments, but the performance and intensity of each scene kept me immensely invested. I felt like I had followed Steve's progression and character development and grew a emotional relationship with the cast, with the film only being two hours long. The character study is phenomenal. Great video analysis.

[@joeyclemenza7339]

While I tend to think Jobs was pretentious and up his own a**, Boyle/Sorkin really created something captivating. I honestly enjoyed it, top to bottom. It cuts the “worship” bullsht of the Kutcher movie, and really delivers on character. If you’re going to make a movie about one man, character is the one thing you really need to nail down.

[@beatm6948]

I still think a lot of the ideals of apple are trash (not to say they didn't make any innovations), but it seems like a genuinely good movie, and emotionally, it works very well. Even if I don't particularly like Steve Jobs.

[@Osfacae]

I always knew I vastly preferred the Boyle film, but never could quite articulate what made it so much more compelling. I think this really nails it flawlessly.

[@BenHardyYT]

exactly

[@varunemani]

Right so Danny 'Brit boy' Boyles version is just an old English stiff cold needlessly OVER INTELLECTUALISED movie, and over all forgettably unwatchable and boring movie (Except maybe if you are one of those stiff cold boring english crowd of people). For the rest of us 'sane' Canadians and Americans, Kutcher is and will remain the definitive Steve 'American icon' Jobs, something by the way a boring english actor like Fassbender can never achieve the level of mass appeal / likeability to a North American audience! Its like picturing a American born actor playing James Bond.. simply wont work no matter how much Danny Boyle or anybody tries to force it.

[@THEODSTKING117]

@@varunemani ur such a dork

[@SuperMustache555]

This was really well made! I know you only did it to avoid copyright claims, but I actually love the way you cut between your own monologue and clips from the movie. Well done!

[@starry_lis]

So smooth

[@sirfizz6518]

That had to be a bit tedious, and the result was quite seamless and even poetic

[@periwinkleadidas]

i didnt even realize it was a strategy for that, i fricking loved that

[@matheus.wagner]

Great screenplay, great filmography, great editing and great storytelling. I'm not talking about the movies though, I'm talking about the video. This is truely beautiful. You just earned yourself a new subscriber! Shout out from Brazil!

[@dennislogan6781]

Pirates of Silicon Valley was an awesome film. I saw it when it first aired. The main song was "Everybody wants to rule the World" and it really fits.

[@murdoph]

I absolutely love your biopic reviews. You've completely changed my mind on how someone's story should be told and I can't thank you enough for your valuable opinions

[@DangerVille]

I remember watching Boyle’s Steve Jobs film in cinemas back in 2015 and I fell in love with it. Its such an unconventional way of doing a biopic, yet we learn so much about WHO Jobs actually is. It’s truly a masterpiece. I still enjoyed Kutcher’s Job’s as more of a popcorn flick, its got fun vibes, but its undeniably inferior to the Boyle film. Great video!

[@chimominino5083]

Dude the crescendos you achieved in your video were phenomenal. Script, direction, score… I found your storytelling really emotional actually. Nice video :)

[@markjune3027]

As someone who grew up in the 80s, Steve Jobs did not revolutionize computers. The Apple was a non-issue for the 80s and most of the 90s. What revolutionized computers were Windows, Intel and the internet. Jobs would be like 17 on a top 20 list. And a lot of people don't seem to realize that smartphones were already a thing before the iphone, years before in fact. I know because I had one. It was running Windows CE. I used to play Super Mario Bros on it with my ported emulator.

[@user-bf8fe3kl2c]

The “Fasbender” version is a fantastic movie. Years before it came out I heard what they would be doing and wondered how they could make a movie of his life by only covering 3 events. It was amazing what they accomplished. Very emotional and engaging rather than just a series of events of his life. Wonderful film.

[@charlesfarley28]

Boyle's portrait of Jobs is breathtaking. We see him as both visionary and villain, a man whose ambition flew so near the sun that we all went with him never thinking of the possibility of "too close." It is as compelling a character study as Michael Keaton's Ray Kroc in The Founder. You don't come away with an impression of either man as good or evil, but instead a real human being. Edit: 100 points word usage for accurately declaring the Boyle film a triptych.

[@TheSchaef47]

"The triptychs are twenty feet high!"

[@rhabdob3895]

The only thing “breath taking” about Steve Jobs is his net worth and--ugh I was trying to make some gross rib cage reference. Too much. Even if it’s about this bastard.

[@charlesfarley28]

@@rhabdob3895 won't argue with that. I was referring to the cinematic quality of Boyle's "Steve Jobs" as opposed to the subject himself. He is one of those examples of history likely leaving out the heinous path he trod in order to be that "great man."

[@BrawndoQC]

@@rhabdob3895 There much more than just his net worth to it, like the phone you're using even if it's Android is a result of it, but yeah he's not the saint and saviour

[@varunemani]

Right so Danny 'Brit boy' Boyles version is just an old English stiff cold needlessly OVER INTELLECTUALISED movie, and over all forgettably unwatchable and boring movie (Except maybe if you are one of those stiff cold boring english crowd of people). For the rest of us 'sane' Canadians and Americans, Kutcher is and will remain the definitive Steve 'American icon' Jobs, something by the way a boring english actor like Fassbender can never achieve the level of mass appeal / likeability to a North American audience! Its like picturing a American born actor playing James Bond.. simply wont work no matter how much Danny Boyle or anybody tries to force it.

[@GDub83]

I have watched all of these movies and I really feel that the Michael Fassbender version is prob the closest version we will get to Steve Jobs on screen. It makes me cry every time.

[@sam7732]

You make a ton of great analytical points here about Sorkin's structure, Boyle's direction, etc, but I gotta say, fuck Apple. I fundamentally disagree with Jobs' "end-to-end control" argument, because in reality it's not about the product being a work of art, it's about barring customers the right to repair their tech, forcing them to spend more money to replace things instead. Need more storage? You can ONLY buy an Apple external harddrive. Want to listen to music on your iPhone? You can ONLY either buy that stupid dongle that plugs into the power slot to let you use wired headphones, or you can buy Apple airpods (which, again, you can't fix, you can only replace) - and then they have the gall to separately sell you a little wire thing you can attach your wireless headphones to. Apple as a company represents everything I hate about Silicon Valley, about late-stage capitalism, and while the Boyle/Sorkin film is undoubtedly superior and does present some critiques of Jobs as a person, it still ends up at the "he was a brilliant man" argument instead of the reality: He was an asshole who employed people more skilled than himself - Steve Wozniak, Andy Hetzfeld, etc - and slapped his name on it, like Tim Burton taking all the credit for Henry Selick's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

[@goblinjones]

Very quickly you've become my favorite youtuber, please make more video essays like this about film! You put things in very thoughtful but concise way which is really engaging to listen to. Beatles stuff is of course great too but I'm all for you expanding to focusing on similar landmark creatives.

[@ElliotRobertsVideos]

Thanks!

[@TheChadTI]

Agree, this guy is really good. Charming af.

[@estate0007]

+1 Beatles are great, but there is already so much content about them out there.

[@seraiharper5553]

I worked up in Scotts Valley at several software companies in the early 90's (temping), and let me tell you, NOBODY had a good word for Steve Jobs. Everyone hated him. Apparently he was a real monster, and no one wanted to deal with him in any capacity. 'Tis why I never bought the hype about his supposed genius. He had no genius at all for dealing with human beings. On the contrary, he was a miserable SOB to one and all.

[@pjetrs]

as much as I believe you that he was an asshole, which is well known, it doesn't equal him not being genius. He happens to be a genius visionary, not a genius peoples-person. One doesn't exclude the other.

[@slob5041]

The Walter Isaacson novel turned me back into an Apple fan. Suddenly he became a very tragic mixed figure dealing with dad problems trying to constantly outdo himself until his self imposed death all in the journey of making something beautiful and unique

[@ScouseJazmin]

Your videos on biopics really helped me understand my own feelings about film. After seeing them, I watched 13 Lives which really ping ponged between a great portrayal of what the story meant to the wider world at that moment in time, and some really affected acting by the leads and jarring the focus when they tried to be "true to life". It's thanks to you that I could find the words to say why I felt so irritated with an overall pretty good film. Thanks for posting and hope you keep going!

[@unfotograma]

FINALLY a content creator I love talks about one of the most underrated movies of the 2010s! Steve Jobs is a work of art and so is this video. Great work as always, Elliot.

[@KrishmanyuThakur]

Michael fassbender was nominated for an Oscar....

[@harold3165]

@@KrishmanyuThakur yeh but the movie itself bombed hard at the box office

[@iceteabreak]

pirates of the silicon valley is a weirdly amazing movie. that faceoff at the end was amazing

[@VinceVintage]

100% agree with everything said about the Aston Kutcher version Loved the breakdown of why the Sorkin version is such a well made film, made me appreciate it so much more

[@sergiomartinez5946]

Wassup. Love your videos. You look like Walt Disney, especially when you have a mustache.

[@andresplashal8971]

Thank yiou for taking the time to do this video essay. Sorkin/Fassbender version is an awesome take on the classic story. The way everyone commands their craft is incredible and really brings the characters/ story to life; It's something special to watch!

[@blackjesus6953]

Normally when I look at other channels, the first few videos look and sound very amateurish but when I see your first videos they look like you have been doing this for a long time! I HEREBY BLESS THIS CHANNEL.

[@ElliotRobertsVideos]

Thanks Black Jesus!

[@AllTheArtsy]

This channel's oldest video is 2 years ago. You can expect the quality to be good from the jump. We're not in 2012 anymore

[@JoJoJoker]

I *WISH* we could get a John Lennon biopic in the same format at Jobs. 1966 final tour. 1971 post-Beatles. 1975 “Lost Weekend” 1980 final days.

[@professionalwidow]

i would prefer a lost weekend movie just by itself. especially focusing on his relationship harry nilssen and may pang

[@JoJoJoker]

@@professionalwidow yes, including the infamous Tampon incident.

[@JoJoJoker]

@Multiversus is the best game ever made I would like to see a limited series about each member of the band. There’s been no good films about any of them, really. Two of Us was the best example I’ve seen…about John & Paul in NYC.

[@JoJoJoker]

@Multiversus is the best game ever made it slips my mind for the moment but there is a movie kinda set up like that. Where we see everything through the eyes of one character and then it switches to another where we get their perspective. It’s simply baffling that Brian Epstein has had a proper film made about him. That would probably be the best angle… Also: Johnny Cash deserves a proper film. Walk the Line was a major disappointment for me…his autobiography is filled with stories which would be a joy to see on screen. Like the time he burned down a national forest while he was high.

[@JoJoJoker]

@Multiversus is the best game ever made they barely address his addiction…it was made like a TV movie with some mid upper-tier actors. Johnny eats some pills off screen, falls down singing I Got Stripes (it’s a shame we never got a full Phoenix version of that song), June flushes them…generic stuff. Another stores: Cash blew up a Cadillac while driving in Beverly Hills on drugs in the 1960s. The movie tried to paint a rosy version of a man who had a very dark life. That’s due to Johnny Cash’s personal historical revisionism after his evangelical 1970s phase. He had to sign off on the script and wanted it to be a love story. The film doesn’t hold up now, a lot of people got caught up in the musical biopic craze of the early 2000s.

[@iTalkALotDontListen]

Almost a year ago, this video brought me to the movie Steve Jobs, and it blew me away. It has remained one of my favorite movies of all time ever since. Thank you.

[@zuqini]

Really thankful that you made this video! The Michael Fassbender 'Steve Jobs' is so frustratingly underrated given the unfortunate release date and deserves as much recognition as it can get. I almost missed this masterpiece because I wasn't ready to watch another Jobs movie, but I'm glad I did. I truly hope this film survives the test of time.

[@Yoshimitsu4prez]

Sorkin really is the master of “smart people arguing,” the amount of meaning you can pull from his dialogue is crazy. I do think it’s key he works with the right directors though. Fincher on social network, or Boyle on this. They know what to do behind the camera to give the dialogue maximum effect. It’s just excellent filmmaking. Really enjoyed you going over exactly how that filmmaking is excellent. I studied some film in school so it takes a bit of talent to engage me with this kind of analysis 😂. But it’s a good vibe

[@DeltaSpartan141]

It sickens me that Steve Jobs isn't being talked about at the same level of The Social Network has.

[@gadget00]

The Social Network is 10 times a better movie imho

[@donpeppone4738]

@@gadget00 And you are right

[@noemorales8330]

@@gadget00 ​I would argue Steve Jobs and The Social Network are at a similar level of quality to each other.

[@johnpenner5182]

pirates of silicon valley was an excellent film - much better than the later films. he is a man who demanded the best - of himself, and of others. he made a dent in the universe, and the future is better for the poetic sense he brought to everything he did. thxu steve. 🙏

[@iwasborninohio1992]

the fassbender version remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Every time I rewatch it I see it from a new angle. It's about technology both alienating and unifying people. It's about art and the artist and the fluid connection between the two "Your products are better than you are brother" "That's the idea brother". It's about change and perspective. It's about the conflict between relationships and ambition. It's about legacy and the power of personality. Also it's one of the best screenplays of the last decade.

[@thomasobrien1841]

Petition to have Elliot review Bohemian Rhapsody

[@sallyjay7741]

Hear hear

[@tyf.5111]

I don't care about Steve Jobs or Apple, nor have I seen either of these films, but you made this video absolutely riveting from beginning to ending. Stellar work. I am stoked the almighty algorithm showed me your channel and I look forward to seeing many more videos from you and witnessing your subscriber count boom. Such great work deserves recognition.

[@EggPlanet492]

One of the best video essays I’ve seen in a long time. I have to have seen Sorkin’s movie at least 3 times and still learned tons here, alongside all the great bts stuff and context from the biography. Thanks for the great watch!

[@reimusklinsman5876]

The Fastbender movie was great because it did the antihero trope so well. Jobs was such a jerk to everyone but somehow falls into success. His only growth was kind of reconciling with his daughter for being a completely absent father. Wozniak fought tooth an nail to make the best product possible while defending his team, but still gets the shaft because of Jobs. That made me feel so horrible.

[@feelflows]

After falling head over heels in love with Love and Mercy purely because of your recommendation, I can’t wait to watch another amazing biopic in Steve Jobs! You explain why it’s great on such a compelling way and you’re quickly becoming one of my favourite KZbinrs!

[@roseclark5623]

No one talks about Steve Jobs the movie and it always felt like such a shame to me cause I was blown away when I saw it and it completely opened my eyes to what an amazing "biopic" could be. Every friend I show it to always has never heard of it or is uninterested in a Steve jobs movie but then always says the same thing I did after watching it. So glad someone finally made a proper video analyzing both these movies since I always felt the Ashton Kutcher version was so lacking in substance but it was the only Steve jobs movie anyone knew of.

[@brevin630]

Congrats, you're one of the few people who convinced me to stop watching a video about a movie and go watch the movie instead, then come back to hear your thoughts

[@eatatjoes6751]

The one thing I think is really kind of cute about Steve Jobs is that the movie's time cards at the end are colored with blues and pinks and all that quirky stuff Apple had before it switched to all-grey and white. That's so cool and kind of nostalgic.

[@Crumbs_Crumbs]

Holy crap I haven't watched this yet but I think that the Danny Boyle Steve Jobs is criminally underrated and I adore it. I'm so happy it gets looked into in this much detail - I don't care about the opinions (of which I dont know yet)! Thank you!

[@aaronnoraa332]

Screenwriting...screenwriting...screenwriting. What an insightful and grounded commentary on such an intensely researched subject. Social Network is incredible too! I'm with you, I'm so glad Danny Boyle got the chance to direct Steve Jobs.

[@opinionateddrone]

Apple fanboy makes a video about Steve Jobs while wearing a Steve Jobs outfit. I've never seen this before. I love how this man is given credit for revolutionizing the computing industry over and over while Steve Wozniak is ignored. Jobs was an excellent marketer, but Woz was the brains of the outfit.

[@bnt96]

i love every video you make and even if you were to branch out into non beatles territory like this one or even the zelda video (which is most excellent) i’m sure everyone would still enjoy it just because of the effort you put into each video and the way you make them so engaging. you could literally make a 20+ min video about anything and i would be interested. the long lengths add an extra layer of epicness along with your style of editing 👌 it makes me actually watch the video while doing other things over just listening

[@ElliotRobertsVideos]

I appreciate that!

[@blew1t]

The zelda video is a certified hood classic and we are ascendant intellectuals for liking/knowing about it

[@bnt96]

@@blew1t fr 😎 u can feel the passion

[@pr0xykill978]

Both biopics failed to depict his childhood friendship with fitness guru Jack Garbarino of THE MOVEMENT.

[@kevinlowercase]

Had Pirates of Silicon Valley recorded onto VHS. The scene where Ballmer breaks character and talks directly to the camera is epically great.

[@KUREHA3D]

blown away. your love and attention to detail is astounding. its very clear how much you admire this man. i actually meant to turn this video on as ambience while i worked but i found myself HOOKED, unable to look away from start to finish. thank you for sharing!! very incredibly well done.

[@harrytodhunter5078]

What a fantastic video essay! Definitely expecting another about the Social Network now!

[@fairplay3312]

You just can't make a bad video, the work you've put into this channel is truly a thing of beauty, I can only say congratulations and keep them coming, these videos are the best thing youtube has to offer

[@jas_bataille]

Steve Jobs's impact is immense, but don't say it's "only one man"! Steve Wozniak invented the first modern personal computer. Jeff Hawkins, who invented the Palm Pilot, the first ever smart device, apparently convinced Steve Jobs to make a phone to be a portable hub-center in place of the iMac, which would be the center only at home. Joanna Hoffman is to be credited for the immense marketing work she has done as CMO of the original Apple team... and so are the thousands of employees that made Job's company the most successful one in the world!

[@ElliotRobertsVideos]

I never said it was “only one man.”

[@tjpowers88]

I actually thoroughly enjoyed the 2015 Steve Jobs. The acting was great, the cast was great, the characters felt impactful in their scenes, and as you pointed out the amazing way it was shot. They sum up a lot in so little, the ending for example when he’s talking with his daughter and explains Lisa was never “Local Integrated System Architecture” and how he’s “poorly made”. That little scene of his admission of fault and the hurt his daughter portrays really made me want to wish the best for the both of them.

[@ziggybaker3446]

The way you analyze films is an artform in and of itself. I love these videos and the way you show the stark differences between two films, taking time to highlight why some work and some don't. As a person who doesn't really watch a lot of films, but does enjoy biopics, the way you think about these types of films always gets me thinking about how the film I'm watching is executing the story. I've never cared about Apple or Steve Jobs's story but you've got me invested in this film now and I might just have to see it!

[@lakrids-pibe]

I still don't understand the cult surrounding Steve Jobs and the Apple gadgets. I also don't understand why Elon Musk and Kanye West is being worshiped. Why are rich guys being treated like wise men and prophets? I just don't get it.

[@ElliotRobertsVideos]

Neither did Aaron Sorkin when he wrote the screenplay for ‘Steve Jobs’!

[@seafoodrichy]

This is beautifully made and I love how in-depth you went into breaking it down. Definitely would love to see more of this type of content.

[@bigd5090]

Michael Fassbinder was perfect for playing Jobs. He is a warning to us all regarding what happens when you put things ahead of people. I'd rather have good relationships than a shiny super computer in my pocket!

[@dylanpeters9400]

Love your biopic breakdowns dude. Always well reasoned and paced, keeps me engaged even if I haven't seen the film.

[@SuperMustache555]

I'm so glad the Fassbender film is getting the attention it deserves. It's my absolute favorite film! It does such a great job showing progression across three different moments with literally nothing in between

[@DodaGarcia]

Amazing video! I had never realized how different those movies were and why the Kutcher biopic always felt lacking a bit to me, now I see it's because it's not focused (and I should have noticed it because I had the same issue with other movies like the recent "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"). The analogy of a photograph compared to an impressionistic painting is flawless too - photographs can of course be gorgeous and moving, but when they are it's not due to their photorealistic nature. It's also pretty ironic that probably the main thing the Kutcher film has going for itself is that uncanny resemblance between Ashton Kutcher and a young Steve Jobs, and yet in all the scenes where Jobs is supposed to look older the makeup is incredibly distracting. At least they had the sense to keep those to a minimum, because there's not a second where you believe you're looking at a bald man in his 40s or 50s.

[@nopasaran191]

The idea that they don’t let you repair apple products on your own and not just because they make money off you when you have to bring them in is very naive

[@eastonwarner5399]

If you stop talking about the beatles I'll cry

[@NomadOverNormal]

Pirates of Silicon Valley is hands down the best iteration. It’s fantastic.

[@kevinlowercase]

Agreed. The scene where Ballmer breaks character and talks directly to the camera is epically great.

[@play-dohsallegory3368]

This video feels like Steve Propaganda with the singularity it ascribes to apples influence. Steve Jobs could not have done any of this without Wozniak and an entire army of engineers. Jobs was a great marketer, but he’s not the god-like figure the intro presents him as.

[@macchiathoR]

I have both the Fassbender and Kutcher movies on Blu-ray and have also seen the Wyle version. And I had worked at Apple's Sydney office in Australia between 2003 to 2006. I have always fascinated on how good the Fassbender version is especially the performance by Kate Winslet. While the Kutcher version not as fascinating, but it is an art at its own right... but you are right about Kutcher worked too hard to look like Jobs. How you breaking down the presentarion in chapters made me learn somehing now about the Fassbender movie that I did not know. Like the media format to shoot in 16tmm, 32mm and Digital was somthing I had noticed visually but did not know how it was done. Same goes to how the sountrack was base on digital music instruments at the era. The Fassbender version has a better entertainment value and this should have draw more viewers but made less than Kutcher version at the box office... unless Wikipedia had obtained an inaccurate date. I did know that the writer for the Fassbender spend time interviewing the real people provides a true account of the charater. Real charaters is more effective than accuracy in a 2 hour time frame. Kate Winslet performance when yelling at Jobs about how he treats Lisa was the best part of the movie. How minutes later he tries to remembers his iMac speech and cringe when he thinks of the fonding memories of Lisa made me a mess... tissues needed. This documentry you made is a as worthy as the Fassbender movie itself... 2 thumbs up!

[@joshyatnite8686]

Sorkin’s Steve Jobs was the first time that i saw a movie and i felt like i was really watching a beautiful crafted stageplay. I’m not really a huge fan of Steve Jobs but that movie showed me that in many ways he had the mind of an artist.

[@liamn.watson4867]

We have “Jobs” and “Steve Jobs”. Now we just need another biopic called “Steve”.

[@Wired4Life2]

It'd be a Spielberg biopic if he didn't already make _The Fablemans._

[@volodyadykun6490]

About Minecraft And Jobs should be about employment or something

[@leoskyi]

Ironically, between the 2 movies the best one is the one that resembles Apple's philosophy the most in the way it's made. I loved every minutes of your review. Very interesting !

[@mikeysaint4368]

An interesting though possibly quite tenuous parallel between Jobs and John Lennon was that they were both taken in and raised by people who weren't their parents, then ducked out of proper parenthood themselves. Lennon even sang about his abandonment on the Plastic Ono Band album while spending as much time ignoring his first son, Julian, as possible - a situation that was never really resolved.

[@stepladder3257]

It’s a shame I lost my Blu-Ray copy of Steve Jobs, I still don’t how I managed to loose it

[@mac5565]

I look back on my Apple fanboy phase as a kid and cringe, hard. The only one of my past interests I never end up finding my way back into. But boy oh boy does Elliot do a good job at making you want to watch films!

[@cjaquilino]

To be honest, it feels like a lot of people in these comments have *not* left the cringe, fanboy phase on Steve Jobs and Apple. Jobs and Apple had a big impact on consumer technology and people’s live good, bad, and indifferent, no doubt. But I feel like these biopics, as a genre, inherently skew hagiographic and are only *passingly* critical of their subject. It feels like people ultimately walk away with the message, “Jobs was flawed and all. Yelled at people, crappy to his girlfriend, and a bad father, but it was all in pursuit of greatness”. Like that’s…okay apparently? It very much plays into the myth of supposed lone “genius” men, and billionaire capitalists “revolutionizing” the world.

[@mac5565]

@@cjaquilino (Disclaimer: I still haven't seen either film) The act of fictionalising a real person's life like this is inherently going to mythologise them and so add to the general perception of their importance, and further distance them from genuine humanity. No matter how critical or true-to-life a biopic may be, I don't see how it would be possible to avoid that. When the genre is at its best, it should be able to lead a viewer to ask themselves if the whole "greatness" thing actually has any real value. Or to reassess whether the legacy attributed to the subject actually _belongs_ to them specifically, or is as valuable as it is generally seen to be. But that has to come from the viewer: someone coming in with the presupposition of "this historical figure matters" is more likely to cling to the idea of that person's legacy and importance, and so latch on to the mythologising element that's always going to be present. From what I remember of this review, the 1987(?) version of Steve Jobs from the Good Film comes across like the most insufferable yuppie you could think of. I think this portrayal moves him out of the "visionary genius" category into the "normal terrible capitalist" one, which was sorely needed. But hey, maybe that's not there at all when you're actually watching the film. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@cjaquilino]

@@mac5565Well put. That’s a good standard for judging a biopic: does it make the viewer question whether the person’s aggrandizement was deserved? On the other hand, there’s also a way in which biopic can be exploitative of their subjects even in death. Like “Blonde” and the conversation around Marilyn Monroe comes to mind. But all of this speaks to some of the inherent problems with the genre. Last word, I do think there are good things to say about Jobs, even if I have a more neutral to bad opinion on a lot of the things he did. He undeniably brought a sense of design and sensibility towards the arts to computing. He fought, albeit *selectively* and to Apple’s corporate benefit, for ease of use and simplicity in computers, hardware and software. And he, Jonny Ive, and others became leaders in industrial design that influenced other companies and products to be better.

[@gadget00]

I believe the looks of the actor are indeed important when making a biopic, for 2 reasons: 1. if the actor doesn't look that much like the person he/she's portraying that puts them in a disadvantage. They have to exaggerate other aspects of the performance(mannerisms, dialogue, emotional display) to compensate for it 2. In regards to the audience, it creates the same issue: you watch it, then don't connect the actor to the real person and start checking if he's "behaving" like who they are portraying; that leaves you second-guessing the actor for a long time if not the entire film. Case in point: In the Steve Jobs film, Fassbender has this lowkey german accent when he's speaking fast that is inescapable (you can even catch it in the scenes used in this video); and because I "know" how Steve Jobs spoke, that was a hindrance during the entire film. Other actors had a better outcome like Seth Rogen doing a good Wozniak impression and Jeff Daniels killing it as John Sculley, but he's not the main character so it doesn't matter in the end. Fassbender didn't pulled it off in my opinion, and that was a hindrance for the whole movie whether Sorkin wants to accept this or not

[@MsLouisez]

I dunno. I really like Fassbender in the film, even the way he spoke. Maybe it's because although I had heard Jobs speak before, I didn't have his voice drilled into my brain (I'm not American, however English is my first language).

[@williamt83]

Great video - the compare and contrast between the two is really put into such stark relief and talking about the amount of heart that the Fassbender version has is a point that I've never been able to put my finger on until now.

[@rosslmccallum]

Huge congrats on going into KZbin full time mate!!!! Awesome video too 😊

[@jits8767]

man stop making me cry and think about the relationship with my father, i came here for movie bro and computer talk

[@stravvman]

"You can't upgrade the hardrive, you can't increase the RAM, but you'll still want it" What a great approach

[@JEEJ_MUSIC]

*Elliot casually dogging on actors in biopics wearing bad wigs while sporting the most glorious head of hair known to man*

[@JosephWithaG]

I mean this as a good thing when I say that you're my go-to for biopic recommendations, because I only ever thought of them as unnecessary fictionalised retellings of real events. Your videos about biopics definitely changed my mind about that.

[@kennybeverage]

Only saw the Kutcher version, also pirates of Silicon Valley. I really want to see the Danny Boyle one now. Almost got emotional by watching this video about it. Enjoy a lot of your Beatles content. Thank you. Keep up the great work.

[@DonatoColangelo]

Boyle’s a masterpiece, unjustly underrated and ignored. I have read Isaacson book for like 5 times,it’s so well written, and Sorkin’s script is amazing. He was capable to de-structure Steve’s life and to remount it in such a way that almost all that you watch in the movie never occurred in reality, but all the confrontations and all the interactions among characters are plausible. It encapsulate the man, in the best way possible. There are three moments in the movie, one in each act, which give me goosebumps to this day. One of the best biopic of the last years.

[@AureliusR]

Wow. You genuinely think Steve Jobs has had more of an impact in recent history than *any other person*? Really? Because he couldn't have done a single thing he did without, for example. Gordon Moore and Intel. Or Steve Wozniak. Or all the people who did the actual work that he takes credit for. EDIT: Okay, it's pretty clear that you're a huge Apple fanboy who won't be able to approach this subject without extreme bias.

[@itishappeningagain3072]

You've officially become The biopic guy

[@ABLW100]

Funny thing is, Seth Rogan said he was gonna quit acting in things made by other people for good, but then he got the role in Steve Jobs. And he's been acting in more things ever since!

[@darknagaadventures7884]

Steve Jobs put the aesthetics of a motherboard that no one would ever see except a few engineers and tech over performance. Enough said.

[@ocadusouza]

Steve Jobs was motivated by ego, not product design or consumer experience.

[@andyrewco]

Honestly, this video is a work of art. Incredibly done.

[@levothy]

What an amazing video as usual Elliot, you've convinced me to watch it!!

[@karmicbreath]

To this day, I think the best Steve Jobs portrayal on camera has yet to be made. I loved both Pirates of Silicon Valley and Boyle's/Sorkin's Steve Jobs. But there's whole other realms of stories, relationships, and events that have never been touched. His relationship with Tina Redse. His actual family, Laurene Powell and their kids. His friendship with Larry Ellison and Richard Murdoch. His battles with Michael Eisner, followed by his respect for Bob Iger. Buying Ed Catmull away from George Lucas and pushing for Pixar to be a legit movie studio. His screaming of a color not being blue while parked at some grocery story. Ordering smoothies in fine dining restaurants that didn't have smoothies on the menu in New York while meeting with legacy media people. Laughing his ass off when he heard Apple's interim CEO used a stupid analogy about a sinking boat needing to have its' crew all rowing in the same direction. There's literally so much to the later years. It's lowkey a dream of mine to make the later years a limited series.

[@luciabee]

i loooove your interest in biopics. i never really thought twice about them until i started watching your videos!! now i have huge respect for the art form and the many ways it can be done

[@Josh-os7vn]

im glad to see you branch out again like you did for the underrated zelda video!! and your biopic reviews are always great