1984: Steve Jobs is about to launch the Macintosh, a revolutionary personal computer. 1988: fired from Apple, he prepares his offensive with NeXT Computer, which turns out to be a disaster. 1998: back at Apple, he stuns the word with the iMac. During the launches of his three iconic products, Jobs is unveiled backstage alongside his family, his faithful assistant Joanna Hoffman, his mentor and future enemy John Sculley, his friend Steve Wozniak and his daughter Lisa.

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Danny Boyle isn’t David Fincher, and Steve Jobs is proof. More conventional than it wants to be, the biopic is reminiscent of The Social Network (which also centered on a nerd turned icon, with words by the brilliant Aaron Sorkin) without having its strength or clarity. Everything is on hand to recreate the magic: a fabulous idea that attempts to summarize the non-standard personality of Jobs at three points in his career and without obeying the laws of narrow biopic; top-flight actors (Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Katherine Waterston, Jeff Daniels); and a good director. But Steve Jobs hits a wall: the movie never manages to flesh out its characters, nor does it have the energy (tragic or comic) Sorkin usually provides. Blame it on dramaturgy that is too simple (the relationship between father and daughter at the heart of the plot lacks finesse); the film seems never to hit its target and remains a fantastic missed opportunity, as illustrated by a much too simplistic ending.