BLACKBERRY – Review

Hmmm, I wonder if this new release completes a “movie hat trick”? Now, that’s because it’s the third film this year to center around the creation of a popular product from the not-too-distant past (really the trio spans roughly a dozen years, from 1984 to 1996). First out of the gate was the surprisingly effective TETRIS, the tale of the popular computer/video game, from AppleTV+. It was soon topped by Amazon’s AIR, the all-star story of Nike’s pursuit of rookie NBA phenom Michael Jordan and the best-selling shoe baring his name. Jump ahead to now (and 12 years in the movie timeline) and IFC brings us a “docu-dramedy” all about a communications device that became the hot “it” gizmo, but is now almost a blip in the “hand-held” history. And rather than being referred to by a litany of letters and numbers, this combo of soft and hardware went by the fruit-based moniker of BLACKBERRY.

Its “origin” story design begins with its creator, but rather on an ambitious “company-man” named Jim Balsille (Glen Howerton) at a major Canadian tech firm. On this particular morning in 1996, he’s pumped up for a big confab with some foreign investors. Oh, but first he’s forced to deal with a couple of “gizmo geeks” from Research In Motion out of Waterloo, Ontario. Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson), in full “frat-bro” regalia fumbles with some display posters, while the “brains”, inventor Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) explains his hand-held, phone-like “pager-hybrid” that allows folks to check and answer emails and text messages. Naturally, Jim thinks the idea will never work, and hustles the two out before the “money men” walk in. And then Jim ignores a direct edict from the “big boss” and is promptly canned. He fumes back at his tiny home while watching hockey on TV before Jim thinks back to those ill-prepared nerds. The next day he drives to RIM, which seems more like a raucous college dorm, and offers to sell their device and erase their bank loan debt (it seems a big router sale went south) if he is made co-owner with 50% of the company. Doug balks, but Mike is interested in this abrasive “lifeline”. Soon they’re sweating through the weekend on a non-working prototype with calculator parts in order to meet with a major company in NYC on Monday morning. Its CEO John Wodman (Saul Rubinek) scoffs, saying this “BlackBerry thingee’ ” would eat up cellular minutes, but Mike has an idea to use free wifi and to make the messages use data rather than minutes. And once Mike works his magic, the “BB’ is a sensation. But success comes at a price as Doug is eased out, Mike becomes a “suit”, and Jim raids the other big software giants, luring execs with shady profit-sharing deals. Everything seems great until they all see the online rollout of something called an iPhone. Jim and Mike believe it to be just a bump in the road, but could it possibly derail the whole BlackBerry future?

Providing the needed energy to propel fairly familiar themes is the bravado performance from Howerton, perhaps best known as part of the ensemble of the cult TV cable comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philidelphia”, as the power-hungry Jim. He’s almost the “love child” of ENTOURAGE super-agent Ari Gold and Gordon Gecko of WALL STREET. Jim’s a bald ball of fury, looking to acquire as much as possible while seething with revenge for anyone who slights him. But he’s the “human steamroller” needed by the timid folks at RIM, and he becomes the “tough love” mentor of Baruchel’s Mike, who yearns to keep his creation pure and close to his heart. Ah, but there’s the devilish imp of Jim on his shoulder and soon he’s emulating his fashion sense before agreeing to overseas production, Still, Baruchel’s furrowed brow and downcast eyes convey his “turn to the dark side”, Part of that is Mike’s rebuke of the best pal (and “shoulder angel”), Doug who Johnson portrays as a twister of exasperated comedic chaos in a headband and unwashed T-shirts and tank tops. Sure, he’s a bit dim though his affable nature gives him the ability to “see through” the conniving Jim. There are also some choice supporting roles for a bevy of screen vets. Michael Ironside (forever the king of the SCANNERS) is the glowering hulk brought in by Jim to “crack the whip” on the fun-loving staff, while Cary Elwes shines as the arrogant smug rival to Jim. And the aforementioned Rubinel has the proper surly gravitas as the kingpin-like “gatekeeper to riches”.

Hey, I forgot to mention that the actor playing Doug, Matt Johnson, is also the film’s director and the co-screenwriter (he and Matthew Miller adapted the book, “Losing the Signal” by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff). Talk about doing a terrific job as a “multi-tasker”! He brings the comedy with his recreation of that 90s tech mania and the free-wheeling playful vibe of RIM (they take turns with a toilet plunger for the monitors), complete with the annoying beeps and buzzes of joining the internet. Yet, Johnson’s not merely a polished pop-culture satirist as he takes us down a dark pathway of greed and deception. This provides a very suspenseful final act as the main characters face the consequences while the feds encircle them, not to mention their annoyed partners. Hubris fuels a clever modern take on the “rags-to-riches-to-rags” cautionary saga making for a punchy, brisk two hours, You may not have ever owned one, but you should enjoy the tart and tasty BLACKBERRY.

3 Out of 4

BLACKBERRY is now playing in select theatres