The story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.
Chuck says:
If those who had invented it would have had their way, it would have been called “PocketLink,” a name that, without question explains its functionality but hardly sparks excitement or curiosity. Upon closer examination, the name “Blackberry” was chosen (think of the keyboard) and a revolution in communications was afoot, making people rethink just what was possible not only in the world of business but their personal lives as well.
Then, it all fell apart.
Matt Johnson’s “Blackberry” takes us behind the scenes to chart the meteoric and astounding fall of the tech company that would produce the device that would come to be known as “the phone everyone had before they got an IPhone.” Employing handheld shots throughout, a seemingly fly-on-the-wall aesthetic is created that brings an immediacy to the story as well as an intimacy to the characters that’s vital to the success of the film. While it would be tempting to write them off as stereotypes, Johnson’s script, adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of Blackberry,” takes a deep dive into their backgrounds, allowing us to understand just what made them tick so we might appreciate all they lost.
Opening in 1996, Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Doug Fregin (Johnson), the founders of Research in Motion (RIM), are confident they have created a device that could prove revolutionary. Describing it as “a fax machine and computer you can hold in your hand,” they are in desperate need of seed money for development and production. A disastrous pitch meeting with corporate predator Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) doesn’t end as they hope, but proves fateful, nonetheless. Fired soon after, Balsillie approaches the inventors with an offer to market the phone in exchange for part ownership of RIM. Though hesitant to do so, Lazaridis knows they need someone with corporate savvy if they want to get their company off the ground. A deal with the devil is made, their fate sealed.
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about the movie is how many surprises it contains. Going in completely ignorant of the corporate machinations that led to the Blackberry’s demise, every twist and turn the story held was not simply revelatory but fascinating as well. Jared Raab’s ever-roving camera effectively underscores key moments in the device and company’s development, a sense of kinetic synchronicity achieved when a quick zoom or rapid pan paired with the characters celebrating a technological triumph. Doing so, Johnson creates a vicarious sense of shared success humanity between Fregin, his colleagues, and the viewer.
Controlling 45% of their market in 2008, Blackberry seemingly had unlimited potential for growth. And while Lazaridis’ refusal to change the design of the device was part of what led to the company’s downfall, it was only one of many key factors that contributed to it. At the core of the film lies the oft told tale of the conflict between art and commerce. Lazaridis’ vision of his invention as well as his inability to deviate from it is his fatal flaw. Though aware of the advances being made by his competitors, his hubris prevents him from recognizing them as significant or threatening. And while Balsillie was never to be trusted, his understanding of the ebb and flow of the marketplace was instrumental in the success of the company. As for his methods of acquiring key developers to join RIM, that’s another story.
Burachel and Howerton – as far from his “Always Sunny in Philadelphia” persona as can be imagined – are excellent throughout, their yin and yang characters perfectly realized, their antagonistic chemistry providing the emotional foundation for what could have been an esoteric, cold examination of corporate culture. Instead, they and Johnson have made a gripping cautionary tale that, like other stories like it, will go unheeded by those in need of a lesson in humility and a reminder of the power of common sense. For the rest of us, “Blackberry” is a compelling entertainment, one that sticks with you long after we witness what proves to be the final nail in the device’s coffin – shoddy craftsmanship.
3 1/2 Stars
