Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine este un documentar regizat de catre celebrul Alex Gibney, iar ieri v-am spus ca premiera sa din cadrul SXSW a motivat unii angajati Apple sa paraseasca sala ecranizarii. Printre ei se afla, aparent, si vicepresedintele senior Apple, Eddy Cue, acesta criticand dur prin intermediul propriului cont Twitter modul in care documentarul il prezinta pe omul care i-a fost un foarte bun prieten de-a lungul anilor petrecuti la Apple.
Cue sustine ca documentarul prezinta un Steve Jobs cu un caracter complet diferit de cel pe care l-a cunoscut el in cadrul Apple, insa avand in vedere ca majoritatea filmului are in vedere tinerea lui Jobs, este normal ca acei ani sa prezinte un om diferit fata de Steve Jobs-ul anilor 2000. In documentar exista interviuri cu fosti angajati Apple, inclusiv Daniel Kottke care a luat parte la crearea companiei pentru a fi mai apoi inlaturat de catre Jobs, dar si Chrisann Brennan, fosta iubita a lui Jobs care i-a daruit-o pe Lisa, fiica pe care Jobs a recunoscut-o numai in urma unui test de paternitate.
Separat exista si o marturie data de catre Steve Jobs in fata agentilor SEC, iar cei care au vazut documentarul inainte de prima ecranizare au afirmat ca multi apropiati si fani ai lui Steve Jobs ar putea fi nemultumiti de modul in care este prezentat fostul CEO Apple. Mai jos aveti cateva dintre marturiile celor care au avut ocazia de a vedea filmul inainte ca el sa ajunga in cinematografele din SUA, dar si pentru o difuzare la televiziunea americana CNN.
Gibney offers a more conceptual and critical assessment of his subject’s legacy than did Walter Isaacson’s biography, which was published less than a month after Jobs’s death in October 2011. …On a certain level, “The Man in the Machine” functions as a corrective and a tribute to the many brilliant men and women Jobs surrounded himself with but didn’t necessarily give their due; many here attest to his sharp way with a jab and his monomaniacal need for control, particularly with regard to staff retention.
The film points out that Jobs’s genius was in personalising computers – Lisa being the first – but it also reveals that this impulse came from a pretty messed-up place. … Jobs achieved things that the vast majority of us would never dream of. Yet Gibney’s film forensically anatomises the contradictions, the ruthlessness, and the pointlessly crappy behaviour that reveal Apple’s ideals to be a sham, even while the products themselves continue to prove almost irresistible.
It’s a surprisingly nuanced, in-depth and affecting portrait of the man, made in the face of opposition from both Apple and Laurene Powell Jobs. …There are definitely times when Gibney reaches. But Gibney has done a good job with the ex-Apple employees he could get, and it’s fun to hear stories about, say, the raucous night of drinking that followed the successful iPhone unveiling in 2007. On the whole, what emerges is a balanced portrait.
Rather than going for a chronological history of Jobs’ life, Gibney has created a documentary that is about his own dawning awareness of the many facets of Jobs. …Familiar figures from throughout Jobs’ life make appearances… but largely they’re telling stories we’ve heard before: Jobs’ cruel denials over the paternity of his daughter, the insane working hours Apple employees were subjected to, the a-ha moment when Toshiba hard drives made the iPod a reality. What’s different is the focus. It’s an unflinching look at the emotional shrapnel people took when they were part of Jobs’ life, and how some of them — paradoxically — still feel tremendous love and gratitude towards him.
