REVIEW: The sweetest technological innovation shows a bitter history in BlackBerry

The smartphone is one of the greatest inventions of the past few decades. It’s made connection between humans all over the world possible and easy, it combines a large number of complicated functions, and it does it all in the size of something that can fit in your fist. Nowadays they are commonplace, many people carry an iPhone, an Android or a Huawei in their pocket. But how did it all start? Believe it or not, it started in the city of Waterloo, Ontario.

Jay Baruchel in BlackBerry, courtesy of Elevation Pictures.

BlackBerry is a fictionalization based on the truth of the invention of BlackBerry as seen from the perspectives of the two co-CEOs who led the innovation, the nervous engineer Mike Lazaridis (played by Jay Baruchel from This Is the End and Man Seeking Woman) and the corporate shark Jim Balsillie (played by Glenn Howerton from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Velma). Beginning in 1996 with the invention of the BlackBerry, the film depicts the tumultuous relationship between the two over the years leading to a fiery conclusion.

The film is directed by Toronto’s own Matt Johnson (the creator of Nirvanna the Band the Show and the Dirties), who also plays one of the company’s founders Douglas Fregin. Taking influence from films like the Social Network and Jobs, BlackBerry does a fantastic job earning its place in the canon of great tech-biopics in cinema. What sets it apart from its contemporaries is that it leans into its geek heritage. This is a film about a bunch of geeks who had an idea, but had no clue about how to market it and capitalize off of it. That all changes with the introduction of Howerton’s character, a savage businessman who takes no pleasure in dealing with idiots.

Glenn Howerton in BlackBerry, courtesy of Elevation Pictures.

Howerton, with a bald head and an aggression that would shock anyone who believes all Canadians are nice, is the film’s comedic highpoint. He exudes complete anger, with most of the film’s humour coming from the clash between his business savvy and the engineers who feel more comfortable watching Indiana Jones movies. He plays a man who frequently untethers his rage, showing no bounds to where it can go.

While Howerton’s performance is a hoot, what makes the film truly work is the excellent performance from Jay Baruchel anchoring the film as the founder and designer of the original prototype. Lazaridis turns a blind eye to the machinations of Balsillie, because it allows him to do what he wants which is work on the greatest phone in the world. His character is a pivotal part of tech history, completely changing the cell phone market from being based around minutes to data. His anxiety and confidence mix and bolster him up. This seems like a character that’s a natural fit for Baruchel, who has frequently played anxious nerdy types. But he channels that anxiety into one of the year’s best performances so far.

The film has a loose shooting style, which gives it a documentary aesthetic courtesy of cinematographer Jared Raab (a frequent collaborator of Johnson’s). It also uses an eclectic soundtrack of late 90s and early 2000s hits, as well as a thumping electronic score by another frequent collaborator of Johnson’s, Jay McCarrol. I had the opportunity to speak with Johnson, as well as the two leads, and he tells me that his collaborators who he’s worked with for so many years are a big part of why this film works so well. “I’m leaning on my collaborators… who would always have better ways of doing scenes than I had planned them, every time.”

Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, and Jay Baruchel in an interview for their new film BlackBerry, courtesy of Elevation Pictures.

Howerton echoed that sentiment, noting that willing to work with collaborators is the sign of a good showrunner/director. “You need somebody with a really strong point of view already coming in, but also who’s incredibly collaborative and willing to take in all different ideas, all different information, all different interpretations.”

As for Baruchel, he also noted the importance of collaboration especially with one of the film’s side characters played by Canadian acting legend Michael Ironside (from Starship Troopers and Scanners), who he tells me he was also intimidating to work with. “He’s a deeply intense, interesting man from East York, and yeah it was scary but also you’re like jamming with the villain from Total Recall.”

Blackberry is one of the finest films to be released this year. While it’s enjoyable on its own being about a Canadian tech story that showcased an innovation that completely changed the market, it’s also a deeply funny and engaging story about two people from different worlds colliding. This is an excellent film enjoyable for anyone, regardless if they’ve owned a BlackBerry or even if they’re Canadian. This film gets a 5/5, you can watch it in theatres now, and you can watch my interview with Matt Johnson, Jay Baruchel, and Glenn Howerton below.