BlackBerry
Matt Johnson’s uneven take on the rise and fall of the titular smartphone still offers much to enjoy.
Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis
Matt Johnson's BlackBerry is literally a film of two halves, the first of which is a joy. This Canadian movie acknowledges as its source material the story of the famous smartphone as told by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff in their book about it entitled Losing the Signal. The full title of their work went on to refer to BlackBerry’s extraordinary rise and spectacular fall and Johnson’s film, which he co-wrote with Matthew Miller, devotes its first half to its rise during the 1990s and then jumps forward to the fall brought about by BlackBerry being supplanted by the Apple iPhone which was launched in 2007. If the time jump at the film’s midpoint clearly divides it into two sections, it's also the case that when the fall follows the rise the change in tone creates problems that sadly render the second half of BlackBerry far less satisfying than the first.
This true story is one that has three characters at its centre. There’s the ambitious Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) who applies his engineering skills in setting up the tech development company RIM (Research in Motion) in Ontario, his colleague and best friend Doug Fregin (played by Matt Johnson himself) and the experienced businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) who becomes a joint CEO and pushes RIM into the big time. The film’s brilliance in its first half stems from the balancing act which takes the real-life facts and finds ways of presenting them in a way that is hugely entertaining. As such the appeal may be first and foremost to male viewers because the story plays out in a predominantly male world although it is a woman, Michelle Giroux’s Dara Frankel, whose investigation into the company's affairs plays a key role in its downfall.
The rise of the BlackBerry is portrayed as an engaging comedy-drama with all the appeal of a David vs. Goliath story. Mike and Doug are the young enthusiasts with whom we identify and the fact that they are naive and inexperienced in big business only makes it easier to do that – and especially so when they challenge the established professionals. We see them first when making a product pitch ineptly and unsuccessfully, but it is Jim Balsillie to whom they make it and he is nevertheless aware that they are onto something. When Jim subsequently finds himself sacked, he decides to contact Mike and to become part of RIM. He is professional, ruthless and dominating and his business knowhow transforms the company’s standing even as it destroys the friendly feel of the business – not least when he brings in Charles Purdy (Michael Ironside) as an aggressive overseer.
If Mike and Doug are the duo we root for, Jim Balsillie is the villain we love to hate. All three roles are perfectly cast and their dialogue is full of neat, sharp lines. Helpfully any sense that this too readily fits a pattern is challenged by unexpected touches. This is particularly successful in the way in which Doug is presented. Even more than Mike, who is very much the leader until Jim Balsillie joins them, Doug is patently immature but, whereas you would expect him to be seen simply as a comic foil, there are times when Doug saves the day when Mike is floundering. If details such as this help, so does the momentum which is so well maintained during the film’s first hour and Doug’s enthusiasm for movies is incorporated into the film in a way which will further encourage audience identification with him.
But if the balance is thus far perfect – between comedy and drama and between the real life narrative and the entertaining storytelling – the portrayal of the decline that follows no longer fits the mould that has been so well established and in its second half the film necessarily becomes different but also, alas, far less effective. There are several factors that contribute to this. Showing RIM going downhill inevitably leads to the comic side of the film being cut back and one misses it. It's also a loss that Jim Balsillie, so prominent in the first half, is a somewhat reduced presence in the second. With the passing of the years, we do see a development in the character of Mike but that serves to underline the fact that Doug has no comparable dramatic arc of any kind. In contrast Mike is portrayed as someone who under pressure is increasingly ready to adopt an attitude to business that echoes the outlook of Jim Balsillie. But, if that is close to being a tragic development, the film’s earlier tone prevents one from finding in Mike somebody whose fate matters to us emotionally. On top of all that, there is a sense that in the later stages the film’s running time of two hours is becoming longer than it needed to be.
But, if it is easy to find the second half of BlackBerry somewhat disappointing, that does not prevent the film from giving a deal of pleasure. That is certainly to be found in the performances, in the adept and helpful music score by Jay McCarrol and in the splendid liveliness of the film’s first half. Even though it fails to keep up that standard, BlackBerry is well worth seeing.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Saul Rubinek, Cary Elwes, Michael Ironside, Michelle Giroux, Martin Donovan, Ethan Eng, Rich Sommer, Sung Won Cho, Mark Critch, Ben Petrie.
Dir Matt Johnson, Pro Niv Fichman, Matthew Miller, Fraser Ash and Kevin Krikst, Screenplay Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller, based on Losing the Signal: The Untold Story behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, Ph Jared Raab, Pro Des Adam Belanger, Ed Curt Lobb, Music Jay McCarrol, Costumes Hanna Pulley.
Rhombus Media/Zapruder Films/Téléfilm Canada/Ontario Creates-National Amusements.
120 mins. Canada. 2023. US Rel: 12 May 2023. UK Rel: 6 October 2023. Cert. 15.
