Docudrama, Comedy-Drama • R • 120 Minutes • 2023
Let me look you in the eye right now and proclaim: “You want to be great, you need to sacrifice. The more you sacrifice, the greater you become.” Feel emboldened? In Matt Johnson’s docudrama, BlackBerry, Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) proclaims this to Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) in a pivotal scene that underscores the film. Was it all worth it, or not?
Based on the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, co-screenwriters Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller weave together an exhilarating yet familiar story arc that follows the inside story of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry phone and the insider dealings behind the earliest days of the smartphone race. Following an unsuccessful pitch meeting, Research in Motion’s (RIM) cofounders, Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson), meander back to their office. However, the play-now work-later ideologues who make up the company’s staff accommodate their disheartenment with a movie night only to be interrupted by Jim Balsillie, who returns to them with an offer they can’t refuse. This sets off in motion their climb to success.
From Glenn Howerton to Jay Baruchel and even to Matt Johnson, all performances are top-notch as they bounce off one another like a beam of light in a house of mirrors. These characters dramatically contrast with one another, creating conflict in nearly every scene, which, let’s be honest, is what makes a great story. Without each other and the discord they bring to the table, no one would be able to succeed (or fail) without the other. Like an epic chess match, Doug Fregin needs to whisper into Mike’s ear to keep him grounded, yet you need Jim Balsillie to push Mike out of his comfort zone to achieve new heights. Glenn Howerton’s unabashed anger and sliminess shine through without his comedic alter-ego Dennis Reynolds from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Jim is a man under constant duress by his own making. He is like watching a man who thinks he’s on top of the world, yet he’s just another cog in the machine of other magnates. It’s an interesting character study of a man with the prowess of a vengeful god, yet without the patience to control or manipulate everyone around him, he winds up pulling his own detonation cord.
Jay Baruchel’s character development comes from the battle between two men. Jim Balsillie and Doug Fregin. Through this push-and-pull, we see him push back, sacrifice, and ultimately break through his own timidity to command a room. However, his development is slow, and sometimes feels jarring due to the film’s time jumps, risking a natural transition.
Writer-Director and Co-star Matt Johnson has a good sense of comedic relief in many of his scenes. Although at times he may slip into the omniscient voice of reason, Doug Fregin helps push the plot along and serves as a good foil to Jim Balsillie, two static characters with little development.
Jard Raab’s cinematography feels directly inspired by Barry Acroyd (The Big Short, Captain Phillips, United 93) and at the risk of a more unique flavour to the film, Raab’s shaky handheld, quick zooms, and long telephoto lenses do an efficient job of putting the audience in the board meetings and private moments of the characters.
Between a droning, simulated heart-pounding score by Matt Johnson’s frequent collaborator, Jay McCarrol, are great needle drops that fuel the feeling of the late 90’s to the early 2000’s corporate takeovers with songs like Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, Honey by Moby, and Hello Operator by the white stripes.
This film will surely have something for everyone to sink their teeth into, whether it’s the style, the music, or the performances. Be sure not to miss out on this one.
Where to Watch
Also worth checking: CBC Gem (often carries Canadian titles not listed elsewhere).
about the author
Merrick Gajdics is founder, publisher and editor of The Canadian Film Reviewer.