STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE (director: Alex Gibney; cinematographer: Sam Painter/Yutaka Yamazaki ; editor: Michael J. Palmer; music: Will Bates; cast: Steve Jobs; Runtime: 128; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Alex Gibney/Viva Van Loock; Magbolia Pictures; 2015)
“Thought-provoking documentary on the iconic legendary Apple co-founder.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Alex Gibney‘ (“Finding Fela!”/”Taxi to the Dark Side”/”Untitled James Brown Documentary“) excellent well-researched and thought-provoking documentary on the iconic legendary Apple co-founder, the iPhone, iPod, iPad inventor and a funder of Pixar. Jobs died in 2011. Gibney is puzzled at the worldwide outpouring of grief for Jobs upon his death and proceeds to paint him in a negative light, as a mean-spirited, selfish, tantrum prone, control-freak zealot and self-absorbed tyrant who did not fight for the underdog as he presented himself but in reality was a ruthless and barb-tongued corporate businessman even if his genius visions changed the world landscape. Other flaws in his character include his failure to donate to charities, his denial of paternity of his daughter, his self-righteous views of being above the law and his use of cheap Chinese labor.
On the brighter side it is fun to watch Gibney explore Jobs’s interest in Zen Buddhism and the benefits of solitude.
To make his point that Jobs was more in love with machines than people, the prolific filmmaker rebukes the uncritical global praise for the iconoclastic genius.. To do so Gibney interviews Jobs’s former associates and adversaries, intimates and observers, and they eagerly confirm Gibney’s convincing assessment of his complex subject. Jobs is seen in archival footage attired in his signature blue jean and black turtleneck, disarmingly looking like a pussy cat.
REVIEWED ON 11/12/2015 GRADE: B+
Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
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