Work hard. Fail hard.|May. 11, 2023|Canada|121 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy;Drama;History
Description: BlackBerry is a 2023 Canadian biographical comedy-drama film that delves into the history of the BlackBerry mobile phone line. Directed by Matt Johnson, with a screenplay co-written by Johnson and producer Matthew Miller, the film is 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. The movie features Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in the lead roles as Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, alongside a supporting cast including Matt Johnson, Rich Sommer, Michael Ironside, Martin Donovan, Michelle Giroux, SungWon Cho, Saul Rubinek, and Cary Elwes.
The film premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2023, and was released in Canada and the United States on May 12, 2023. It has garnered widespread critical acclaim for its storytelling and performances.
Set in Waterloo in 1996, the story follows Research in Motion (RIM) CEO Mike Lazaridis and his co-founder Douglas Fregin as they pitch their “PocketLink” cellular device to businessman Jim Balsillie. Despite an initial failed pitch, Balsillie, after being fired from his job, agrees to join RIM as co-CEO in exchange for a significant share of the company. This decision comes after they uncover a deceitful deal with USRobotics aimed at bankrupting them.
Under Balsillie’s leadership, the team rushes to create a prototype of the PocketLink overnight for a crucial pitch with Bell Atlantic. After a series of mishaps, including forgetting the prototype in a taxi, Lazaridis successfully rebrands the device as the “BlackBerry,” marking the beginning of its iconic journey.
The film captures the remarkable rise and eventual decline of the BlackBerry brand, offering an engaging and insightful look into the tech world.
Cast director: Matt Johnson
Cast actor: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Kelly Van der Burg, Greg Calderone, Laura Cilevitz, Martin Donovan, James Elliot Miniou, Fuad Musayev, Ethan Eng
Original name: BlackBerry