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'Steve Jobs': Does its innovative storytelling structure work?

'Steve Jobs,' was adapted from Walter Isaacson's biography for the screen by Aaron Sorkin. The film takes place in three acts, taking place around major events in Jobs's life. Will the storytelling device make the movie stand out from other 'based on a true story' films?

Many movie fans probably think they know what to expect when it comes to a biopic. The trappings of the genre are so well-known that they鈥檝e been parodied in films like 鈥淲alk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," a comedy that poked fun at these conventions.

But anyone going to see the upcoming film 鈥淪teve Jobs,鈥� based on the 2011 Walter Isaacson biography of the Silicon Valley entrepreneur and visionary who founded Apple Inc., will find a different structure than most would expect from a movie about someone鈥檚 life, according to reviewers. 鈥淪teve Jobs鈥� screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for his work on 鈥淭he Social Network鈥� (also a film about a tech visionary who changed the world and his personal conflicts with those around him) has reportedly shaped the movie into three distinct acts. Viewers see Jobs as the Macintosh is revealed in 1984; when the NeXT Computer came out in 1988; and when the first iMac was released in 1998.

鈥淪teve Jobs鈥澛燼ctress Kate Winslet, who portrays one one of Jobs's employees, recently discussed the creative decision. "Steve Jobs"聽is "deliberately" not a traditional biopic,聽. 鈥淎aron Sorkin decided that there was no interest for him in writing it in that way.鈥� So the writer wove his story around three key moments in Jobs鈥檚 life.聽

鈥淪teve Jobs鈥澛爄s predicted to be a contender for the Oscars race, which is heating up as the end of the year approaches. But Danny Boyle's film, which stars Michael Fassbender as Jobs, will most likely have some competition from other films based on true stories. The movie 鈥淪potlight,鈥� which details how Boston Globe reporters investigated the Massachusetts Catholic sex-abuse scandal, is widely viewed as a contender for Academy Awards, as is 鈥淏ridge of Spies,鈥� the new movie by Steven Spielberg that tells the true story of how a lawyer became involved in the Cold War.

鈥淭he Revenant,鈥� which depicts the true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio)'s survival after being injured and left for dead in the Dakota Territory in the 19th century, was directed by Alejandro Gonz谩lez I帽谩rritu, who directed last year鈥檚 Oscar best picture winner, "Birdman," so naturally 鈥淩evenant鈥� is anticipated by industry watchers. Director Tom Hooper鈥檚 鈥淭he Danish Girl,鈥� about a woman who is believed to have been one of the first people to undergo gender reassignment surgery, is also getting buzz, as is director Ron Howard鈥檚 鈥淚n the Heart of the Sea,鈥� about a ship that is wrecked by a whale.聽

So when 鈥渂ased on a true story鈥� doesn鈥檛 separate a film from the crowd, will the screenplay's structure make 鈥淪teve Jobs鈥澛爏tand out? The device has received mixed reviews from critics, with writer Eric Kohn writing that 鈥渟tructurally, Sorkin has delivered a masterwork of narrative economy鈥� and writer Justin Chang writing, 鈥淪orkin鈥檚 screenplay has mastered the art of conveying聽a character鈥檚 essence 鈥� by compressing the most relevant data into one significant聽time frame.鈥� But writer Chris Nashawaty writes, 鈥淭here鈥檚 something too mannered and convenient in this three-part setup.鈥�

鈥淪teve Jobs鈥澛燾omes to theaters in a limited release on Oct. 9 and will be in wide release starting Oct. 23.