Looking For "Jobs" In All The Wrong Places

Jobs (2013)
Rated PG-13 - Language

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad

Directed by: Joshua Michael Stern

The Story:

The film opens with Steve Jobs (Kutcher) introducing the folks at Apple to his newest idea: the iPod (2001).  The we head back in time where he has dropped out of college, yet he still yearns to learn. Anything. Everything.  Next he's at Atari, where he brings in his friend Steve Wozniak (Gad) where they make a little miracle called Breakout, and then he's starting a business out of his garage.  The movie then jumps forward through the creation of Apple, Jobs ouster from his own company, until his triumphant return after being ostracized.

Well, that was something.

You know, I'll give Ashton Kutcher credit.  Buried under the beard, there are times it is easy to forget that this is the same goofy Ashton Kutcher we've come to know and either love or loathe over the last decade or so.  While I never would have pegged him to pull off a Steve Jobs role, he does a fine job as the star.

I Have A Dream...

It's the material that ultimately lets him, and the entire movie, down.

There is a story to be told, for certain.

Steve Jobs is a true visionary, and now that he is no longer with us, it's easy to see Hollywood lining up to tell his tale, whether it be honest or a hatchet job.

Only the people that were there can really verify the authenticity of what we are seeing on the screen, and the guy that lived every moment isn't going to call anyone on it, so where does that leave us?

Is Wozniak or Mike Markkula (Mulroney) going to come out and say "no that's not true..." or "yes, that's exactly what happened..."

Doubtful.

Therein lies the greatest problem with the movie.

That 70s Show!

They wanted to tell so much, in the end, they barely tell anything.

Each incident is glossed over quickly.  Years pass, people have moved on, and it simply is.

For example, Jobs first daughter, Lucy, whom he wants nothing to do with.

By the end of the movie, Steve is happily married, Lucy is hanging at his house and he has his own family now.

What the?  When did that happen?

It's staggering jumps like that which make the narrative a little hard to follow.

Separated at iBirth

I suppose if you are fully immersed in the back story already, this will simply be a Cliff's Notes version of the life of Steve Jobs.

If you only knew a little, this is a sampling of what his complicated life had to offer, and you'll be disappointed that it didn't reveal more.

At least that's where I'm at.

Final Grade: C

Would I Watch It Again: Nope, I think once was enough.

Would I Buy The Movie: Not a chance.

"Guess Who" is Getting Reviewed Today... Do I End That With a ? or ! ???

Love is blind.  Color blind.

The Story:

Theresa (Zoe Saldana) loves Simon (Ashton Kutcher).  So much so, they are going to get married.  What better time to take Simon home to her family, than on the anniversary of her parents Percy (Bernie Mac) and Marilyn's (Judith Scott) anniversary and renewal of vows.  One small hitch... Theresa has never mentioned to her family that the man of her dreams just happens to be white.

Oopsie.

So I suppose I could go on a long philosophical rant on the importance of this film in breaking down race relations in America.  Based loosely off Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in the new millennium we have to treat the white guy as the odd man out, otherwise the movie would be overtly racist in tone and cause such an uproar.  Instead, making fun of Ashton Kutcher is safe and tolerable to take a look in an amusing way at race relations and come out not feeling so bad about ourselves as human beings.

But that's way too deep for this movie.

: )

Instead, enjoy this one for the tour de force of Bernie Mac playing a dad upset with his daughter, and learning to love his apparent son-in-law-to-be.  The two get off on the wrong foot, but is it because of Simon's skin color, or is it because no guy is ever good enough for a man's daughter?

Ponder that one!  If you have a daughter, you probably can already guess the answer!!

It doesn't help that Simon hits the ground caught in a lie, and apparently Percy can sniff out a lie quicker than anything.

Of course, before the weekend is over, Percy and Simon are going to need to work together to win back the loves of their lives, and with a little help from one another, the weekend might not be so bad after all.

Kutcher has some great reactions throughout the film and he and Bernie make a great duo.

If anything, this is just another remind that Bernie Mac was lost way too soon, he had dozens of more fun characters in him that would be a joy to watch unfold on the screen.

It's lightweight, silly fun that hides the deeper thought that almost everyone is racist until they can change their own mind.

But again, that's too much depth for this film, just go have a good laugh.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I've watched it a few times over the years, and I keep meaning to buy it but haven't yet.  Maybe someday....

Alliteration At It's Finest..."A Lot Like Love"

If it walks like a duck...

The Story:

Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) is flying to New York to visit his brother.  At the airport he spies Emily (Amanda Peet) and the two lock eyes for a bit, but nothing more.  On the plane, they bump into each other again... Then over the next seven years, the two come back into each other's lives, sometimes for some romance, sometimes just to have a shoulder to cry on.  Will the two realize what they have together is special, or are they fated to remain apart?

Hmm...

Running a Dot Com business sure can date a movie! :)

I never heard of this one before, but trying to find some romantic comedies to make up for all the action, drama and thriller movies that have come through recently, this one was running through the top of the Netflix pile, so here it is. 

It's already been 8 years since the movie came out, and since they deal with the previous 7 years leading up to 2004/5, the movie feels closer to 15-20 years old.

Nothing wrong with that, just realizing that the dot com revolution really dates a movie to a specific period of time.

Kutcher remains the goofball that he is, but he does seem to generate some nice chemistry with his co-star, and the movie is the better for it.

An interesting addition to the movie is Oliver's brother, Graham (Tyrone Giordano) who is deaf.  This is used to great comic relief in several parts of the movie, and it's neat to see Hollywood try something different in a family relationship like that.  Too often they seem to either make the siblings bitter and cynical or they opt to go the wise and gay route.  Rarely anything in between.  A deaf brother who gets along with his sibling and is happy and content in his life, yeah, that's like spotting a unicorn. :)

It did catch me off guard at first, because I looked away from the movie, and it went silent for a moment, and realized they were signing and putting up subtitles.  Otherwise, the brother was used to great effect throughout the rest of the movie.

The plot became contrived in a few instances, otherwise the movie had its heart in the right place, and it made for a pretty good viewing experience.

Of course, if you can't stand Ashton Kutcher, you'd be advised to steer clear.

: )

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Good but not great, I doubt I would be seeking this one out anytime soon.  But if it was on cable as I'm surfing, it would be fine background noise.