Still, the film never calls Jobs a monster. It calls him human — deeply, painfully human — and asks why we celebrate certain kinds of cruelty when they come wrapped in industrial design.
How Jobs tricked his friend Steve Wozniak out of a bonus check.
The Man in the Machine does not shy away from Jobs' darker business decisions, including stock option backdating and the questionable labor practices in the factories assembling Apple products.
: Interviews highlight his initial refusal to acknowledge his first daughter, Lisa.
The 2015 documentary "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" offers an intimate and revealing look at the life of Steve Jobs, featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with people who knew him intimately. The film explores Jobs' remarkable achievements, as well as his personal struggles and controversies.
Upon release, The Man in the Machine was polarizing. Some critics found it overly harsh, accusing Gibney of focusing too heavily on personal shortcomings while downplaying the magnitude of Jobs' innovation. Others praised it for breaking through the "reality distortion field" that Jobs created around his own life.
Some critics argue The Man in the Machine is overly harsh. Jobs’ defenders (including Apple’s current leadership) declined to participate, leaving the film without an internal counterweight. And by focusing heavily on Jobs’ flaws, Gibney occasionally shortchanges his legitimate collaborations — with Jony Ive, Steve Wozniak, and the original Mac team.
