Odds are higher than common that you just’re studying this overview in your telephone. And that, as soon as you bought a smartphone, you sought out websites like this one to mirror your private pursuits. You in all probability don’t even take into consideration how that course of got here to be, because it’s only a pure a part of life now. Would you wish to see a film about that? Maybe not in principle, particularly if it had been scrupulously fact-based and featured largely advertising and marketing conferences. In BlackBerry, nevertheless, a film concerning the first mass-produced smartphone, writer-director-actor Matt Johnson (The Dirties) could be very clear upfront that he has made a fictionalized retelling. Essentially, because it performs out, it’s like a Kids within the Hall sketch model, set within the real-but-fake-sounding Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Johnson’s earlier works have largely been discovered footage and mockumentary, so the mixing of fact and fiction is nothing new to him. For those that may go in anticipating a “stranger than fiction” true story, nevertheless, right here’s a fast corrective: BlackBerry inventor Mike Lazaridis, a Greek immigrant described by the Canadian Globe and Mail as “a beefy, friendly-looking guy, with poofy silver hair and an affable if supremely confident manner about him,” seems to be nothing like actor Jay Baruchel in successively worse white wigs and the physique language of a terrified bunny. And the BlackBerry was not, in actual fact, named after a jelly stain on his shirt.
IFC’s barely muddled advertising and marketing on the topic apart, the film appears to be a bit more true than the Weird Al biopic, however fairly a bit much less so than The Social Network. Its level is much less to doc an precise product improvement course of, and extra to supply a parable of nerds colliding headfirst with cutthroat capitalism. Which is arguably the defining pop-cultural battle of the final 20 years.
Mike and Doug’s Excellent Proposal
The film’s Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Doug Fregin (director Johnson) are old-school nerds, as in “Revenge of the…” who seem to have a perfect enterprise, circa 1996. They promote modems for fats contracts, and their handful of staff largely play Wolfenstein or argue on Star Trek fan boards throughout work hours. Mike’s the quiet genius whereas Doug, together with his loudmouth, ever-present headband, and poorly styled T-shirts is harking back to Judah Friedlander’s extra aggressive persona. Neither is especially nice at pitching their newest thought, an all-in-one machine that mixes a telephone, pager, and electronic mail terminal in a pocket machine.
After an ungainly presentation to humorless govt Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) falls flat, Balsillie is himself fired however sufficient within the product to supply to take over Mike and Doug’s awkwardly named firm, RIM (Research in Motion). Negotiating him down throughout a televised hockey recreation, Mike will get him to agree that they be co-CEOs and, from there, the enjoyable begins. At least on this telling. Introverted Mike has all of the smarts and the monomaniacal concentrate on making one of the best product. Hockey fiend Jim is a brash company man who has by no means seen Star Wars however in all probability is aware of Glengarry Glenn Ross by coronary heart. In between them is Doug, who imagines himself the hero of each underdog film when he’s really extra of the real-life comedian aid — to the extent that this may be known as “real life,” anyway.
Cameos? As You Wish…
Mike and Doug’s posse of sensible dorks love their film nights, which turns a few of the stunt casting right here right into a sly in-joke. Cary Elwes reveals up because the CEO of Palm Pilot threatening a hostile takeover, which makes him a form of dread company pirate. Michael Ironside in a bulked-up go well with seems to be like Burl Ives taking part in the Kingpin in his function as a company disciplinarian. That the BlackBerry staff could be among the many actual Elwes and Ironside’s largest followers doesn’t require remarking upon; if you happen to’re the target market for this film, you understand. Balsillie, whose title seems like an apparent low-cost joke arrange, sees the pronunciation of it run the suitable gamut. When he’s taking dangers and rising, he insists it’s pronounced “BALLS-ly.” Later, as the corporate declines, it turns into “Ball-SILLY.”
In actuality, neither Mike nor Jim got here away too badly, because the wealthy so typically don’t. The rise-and-fall arc matches film system, however it’s extra of a schadenfreude generator right here. In hindsight, in fact Mike’s fixation on a keypad appears pointlessly myopic, and Jim’s try to purchase an American NHL staff and transfer it to Canada insane. Left unsaid is the truism that these are the kinds of oldsters we’re in the end all subservient to, and the second they’ll do away with the traditional, socially awkward nerds, they may.
Nerd-vana? Nevermind.
Nowadays, everybody from Chris Hardwick to Dwayne Johnson is a self-declared “nerd,” typically primarily based on one thing like the truth that they watched Saturday morning cartoons and performed with Star Wars figures as a child, similar to everybody else. BlackBerry returns us to a time when it meant one thing else, and the oldsters to whom the label utilized briefly appeared like they had been on a everlasting upswing. Instead, they grew to become coopted, because the nouveau riche do. This could also be an imaginary retelling, however it additionally seems like a pointed warning. However a lot you could love your job, it doesn’t love you again if there’s the slightest probability it may be extra worthwhile with out you. The actual Mike Lazaridis apparently understood this, all the time making time for his spouse and youngsters that the film doesn’t even acknowledge the existence of.
As a director, Johnson likes to make audiences uncomfortable, however in taking part in Doug with a mixture of goofy mugging and actual ardour, he telegraphs you can chortle each at and with the characters onscreen. After all, the actual ones laughed all the way in which to their fats severance checks.
Grade: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s overview coverage explains, a rating of seven equates to “Good.” A profitable piece of leisure that’s value trying out, however it could not attraction to everybody.
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