Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine - B

Rated R, 128 minutes

There's likely a person on the planet who hasn't been impacted or touched by Steve Jobs in some way - if you don't have an Apple product, then you know someone who does. You'll know even more after the fascinating, detailed and overlong new documentary "Steve Jobs: The Man Behind the Machine." Director Alex Gibney, the proflic documentarian who has tackled such interesting and challenging subjects such as Enron, Scientology and Wikileaks now tackles his most difficult, complex subject: the founder of Apple and in some ways the father of the personal computer, the late Steve Jobs. Most of the planet, by now and especially after his death in 2011, is aware of at least some of the basic details of Jobs life and his rise as a technology pioneer and CEO of the now giant Apple, but the documentary goes into considerable more detail, speaking with friends, colleagues, industry insiders and journalists and family members and loved ones. "Machine" profiles Jobs as a brilliant with technology, but even smarter when it came to marketing Apple and its products, yet it's also a balanced portrayal of his personal and business life, showing what a charismatic but ruthless person he could be, confirmed by such folks as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (heard but not seen), his first daughter Lisa who he initially denied was his (again heard but not seen here, a slight disappointment, though we do gain some insight from Lisa's mother, Chrisann) and many others who Jobs worked with at some point. "Man in the Machine" ultimately goes on too long, spending too much time on things we either already knew (later Apple products) or internal Apple politicking that has little interest for the average viewer; the most fascinating is from a historical standpoint, with all the early footage and clips of Jobs at Apple, and while it touches on his personal life, it isn't extensive, given there's little to no footage or interviews from later family. Gibney ends it all on a bittersweet, romanticized note, and while Jobs was at times a total jerk there's no denying his impact and how many connected with him not personally but through the impact he had on their lives technologically. Gibney uses an eloquent Japanese proverb to describe Jobs, which tends to summarize the man and his machine quite well: striving for perfection but rarely achieving peace. The overlong but entertaining "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine," which precedes another feature film profile on Jobs coming later this fall, is an engaging look at some one you can thank for that Face Time chat or downloading your songs to your iPad, iPhone or iPod. Definitely worth a look.