‘Blackberry’ Review
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Matt Johnson, Glenn Howerton, Kelly Van der Burg, Laura Cilevitz, Martin Donovan, Saul Rubinek, Stephanie Moran | Written by Matt Johnson, Matthew Miller | Directed by Matt Johnson
Loosely adapting Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, director/co-writer Matt Johnson and producer/co-writer Matthew Miller bring to screen the story of how Blackberry went from a dominating brand in mobile phones to losing all presence in the market.
The story begins in 1996, with Research In Motion co-founders Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) hoping to secure financial backing for their idea, then known as the PocketLink. The unsuccessful pitch fails to interest executive Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), who dismisses the presentation in favour of his own underhanded aspirations. When he is instead fired, Jim offers his services to market and sell Mike and Doug’s idea in exchange for becoming a co-CEO at their company.
In a year containing many brand biopics such as Air, Tetris, and Flamin’ Hot, Johnson’s terrific style sets this film apart from the pack. While the opening titles inject adrenaline into viewers as Elastica’s hit song Connection is played, there is an interesting intercutting of pop-culture scenes which captures the time period depicted, while also showing how technological advances in communication were envisioned in works such as Star Trek and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Scenes are shot in a handheld style like The Office, allowing viewers to feel as though they are in the room with the characters. This allows the tension to be felt as the characters try to stay afloat despite the challenges coming their way, feeling the net closing in as past decisions catch up to them. Amidst all this, the film maintains terrific comedic timing to deliver the humour and feel the bonds between these passionate nerds.
Attaching himself to that small business is Jim, a shark who sees an opportunity for self-advancement regardless of the price he must pay. There are opportunities for the role to show the humanity within what could have been a caricature, yet what will stick most in the mind is Howerton’s incendiary performance that delivers unmatched fury in show-stopping fashion. For someone who has delivered exceptional rage on the small screen for 16 seasons of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, this is finally a big-screen role worthy of the star’s intense talents.
Acting opposite is Baruchel, impressively playing the socially awkward inventor who struggles to stand up for himself, yet gains confidence when it comes to diving into the process. A pitch meeting when he explains how he made the phone work where others have failed is key to showing that he fully believes in his creation. When he says that they are making the world’s best phone, Baruchel’s performance makes it clear that Mike truly believes this. He dislikes the idea of outsourcing the product to sacrifice quality for mass production, something emphasized with the buzzing noise he hears from products made in China.
When the pressure is felt from competitors, it is heartbreaking to see the personal and professional sacrifices made which indicates a point of no return. As the final scene shows an attempt to rectify such mistakes, it is clear the problem is too widespread for a fix to have any impact, sealing the company’s fate. What has been delivered is a film which looks at the people behind such a massive business, be they the inventors who created the product, the businessmen who sold it, or the work family fractured by poor choices. This familiar tale of a rise and fall is told in electric ways which feel fresh and highlights Johnson as a director to watch.
