Blackberry and the phones that they created were something of a fad in the 2000s. People know of the existence of Blackberry, but their fall was as quick as their rise. I remember having one as a kid because my mom was a huge fan of the fact that you could still click the buttons on them. The touch screen was something that she wasn’t as into, something about those click sounds worked. I either had a curve or a bold for a brief moment so I could text my parents, but once that iPhone started rolling out, everyone’s attention moved over. I know that I for sure saw the iPhone and immediately wanted one. My mom was probably one of the last people who held onto the Blackberry as a primary phone until she moved onto Samsung and that’s when her battle with Samsung and Apple truly began.
Technology has gone through such a boost in the last few decades, and like most technological advances, the mobile phone company that started the push has faded away. You could make that statement about any innovation, but it’s most prevalent in the technology field, especially of recent times. Commodore and Atari started the video game industry, and they are only shells of what they use to be now. Atari is barely holding on releasing throwback rereleases for every console generation and Commodore only comes around to release a “flashback console” to try and capture the nostalgic mind. BlackBerry hasn’t had that resurgence yet, but maybe this movie will fuel that comeback.
When it comes to Canadian movies, I’m sometimes too hard on them. The quality is usually lesser to the American counterparts purely based upon the fact that the infrastructure isn’t as developed as the United States. The industry for film and television in Canada has developed significantly in the past few decades, but Canada hasn’t reached the highs that America has been feeling for a long time yet. In the past year and a half, i’ve been taking a dive into Canadian cinema of past and present and much of it is very good. BlackBerry is one of the best examples of that.
Before seeing this movie, I was very knowledgeable on Matt Johnson and his filmography. The Dirties and Operation Avalanche are two of the best films in terms of Canadian Cinema and Nirvanna The Band The Show is a series that screams Toronto. Matt’s approach to filmmaking is one that i’ve always admired based upon the fact that it’s very amateur in its approach, but that gives it charm. The is it real or is it fake approach of Nirvanna is something that keeps the show fresh and fun throughout. The handheld approach to shooting that he does with his films also gives a personal touch that makes you feel like you’re apart of the action. Blackberry is no exception to this idea.
Blackberry is Matt Johnson’s most professional and “movie like” film in his filmography so far. The film still holds onto his mannerisms though. The film is shot in handheld which actually plays well with the humour and the unexpected nature behind the history of the once tech giant. The film follows the developers of Blackberry, specifically the creator Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) as they meet Jim Balsillie (played excellently by Glenn Howerton) and begin a rocky partnership that brings Blackberry to the public. Greed, Backstabbing and many other elements of unprofessional behaviour from all parties leads to the eventual downfall of the company.
Blackberry for one is a very funny film. This is Matt Johnson working on all cylinders with his script. One of the funniest scenes in the film has Matt Johnson pulling out a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles velcro wallet in front of Howerton to pay at a diner and you see his shock. The true childlike unprofessionalism catches him off guard. The film also has an endearing and sometimes dramatic side that is equally powerful and excellently executed. The entire cast is strong in this film from Baruchel as the mastermind behind the technology, to Howerton as the greedy businessman who wants to make a buck to even Matt Johnson himself as the friend to Baruchel who gets left in the dust when BlackBerry becomes the next big thing. There’s even a great secondary performance from Cary Elwes.
The film has an energy of underdog spirit that emanates though out the film. The film sees a group of tech friends from Waterloo, Ontario who end up building the first mobile phone with texting capabilities. When we see them at the beginning, they’re renting a space, they are unprofessional and a bit unorganized. Their spirit is what pushes them to build the BlackBerry. They’re need to invent something that people need. We see as that quirky underdog energy is stripped away as they are thrown into the big leagues. Little things in the film like how the crew would have movie nights where they would stop working and watch a movie together gave me a feeling of camaraderie and family that ties with the underdog energy that the creators of Blackberry had. This concept is stripped away when the big wigs get a hold of it because it’s deemed unprofessional.
This theme in the film ties back to underdog companies but I also believe that it ties to Canadian Filmmaking as a whole. Canadian Filmmaking as a whole is seen as the underdog and many filmmakers from Canada move to the United States to make films because there’s more opportunities out there. Sometimes these filmmakers even lose part of their identity when they move away from Canada. There are many filmmakers and even actors that people are unaware are Canadian. Matt Johnson is one who as stayed true to himself and has continued to make content in Canada despite the fact that the pool is smaller.
To me, Matt Johnson and Blackberry are one in the same. Both are Canadian underdogs who have made a name for themselves in the industries they’re attached to. Blackberry is premiering at multiple festivals including Berlin and South By Southwest snd I congratulate Matt and the crew on that. Just like Blackberry, they’re on the road to take over the world and showcase the true talent that can come out of Canada.
The Rating:
“BlackBerry” premiered at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. IFC Films has picked up the rights in the United States and it will be released later this year!