BLACKBERRY

Canada, 2023, 118 minutes, Colour.

J ay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Martin Donovan, Saul Rubinek.

Directed by Matt Johnson.

For many of us, sitting at our computers, the 1990s does not seem all that long ago and we are amazed at the developments and transitions in our work with IT and what we have lived through. Those born in this 21^st-century will find that this film is an excursion back into the 90s, something of ancient history – a history which should be looked at and understood, those extraordinary developments of the 1990s, thinking Bill Gates, the many movies made about Steve Jobs. But, what about the Black Berry? Here are some answers.

The film is billed as a comedy as well and is a drama although the issues in it are very serious, the rise and fall of Black Berry and its promotion and use. At the beginning, the audience is warned that this is a fictionalised story based on actual characters and events. For those wanting to know more about this history and the characters involved, there is quite an amount quickly available on Wikipedia (and a more sympathetic presentation of the key characters in real life, especially their considerable philanthropy).

This is a Canadian film and a Canadian story. It focuses on a small somewhat backyard-company of IT developers, Research in Motion. The brains behind the enterprise is Mike Lazaridis, something of a nerdish (Jay Baruchel). Supporting him is his good friend, Doug Auguin, played by Matt Johnson who co-wrote the screenplay and directed the film. So, in the 1990s, they were working on IT phone developments which led to the Black Berry. Mike is very serious, Doug acts as spur and spokesman (long hair with a bandanna, a cheeky manner). What are they to do with their invention and the need for financial support?

The focus of the film then moves to business, promotion, contracts, especially focusing on Jim Balsillie, ambitious, self-promoter, less than honest in his dealings with in his company, appropriating others’ plans, fired. He goes to seek out Mike and Doug – with significant results as well as some dire results. Jim is played by Glenn Howerton who brings the ambitious co-getting Jim very much dramatically alive, a powerhouse, pressurising, manoeuvring Mike, hostile to Doug, for more than 10 years wheeler-dealing with big American companies and CEOs, also involved in ice hockey with ambitions to own teams.

Interestingly, there is scarcely a woman to be seen in this film, one of the workers at Research in Motion, a government investigator at the end. There is no back story given of any of the central characters (though, in real life, they were married with families).

So, the story of the rise is exhilarating as well as comic, Mike and his awkwardness, his being called co--CEO of the company but his abilities with finance minimal. And the staff of the company and again rather nerdish but expert, casual in their approach to work, postponing work each week for movie night which they loudly and enthusiastically enjoy. But, Jim Balsillie put an end to that, employing a big tough supervisor (played by veteran Michael Ironside). And Doug becomes more and more bewildered.

But this is a story of rise – and fall, Jim’s ambitions larger than he can achieve, lots of meetings with executives, possibilities for deals, poaching expert technology from companies like Google, altering the books for contracts. It catches up.

But then there is Steve Jobs, Mike Lazaridis completely underestimating the impact of the iPhone (and the film includes the sequence where Jobs himself introduces the iPad).

So, a dramatic reminder, of what has gone on behind the scenes, and in public, which has influenced our stooping over our phones and a realisation that they are indispensable for contemporary living, except for those who do not have one.

1. The changes in IT technology from the 1990s to the 2020s? For those who have lived through the developments and kept pace with them? For younger audiences who take this IT world and social communications for granted?
2. The statement that this film is a fictionalised version of what actually happened, the characters, the Black Berry, the Canadian background, finance and the US?
3. Audience knowledge of the Black Berry, those who followed its development, used it, those unfamiliar with it, its peak success, its failure of the business?
4. The Canadian settings, Ontario, the cities and office buildings, interiors? The contrast with Research in Motion, the headquarters, the labs, the workers, easy-going atmosphere? Yet technological success?
5. Introducing the world of big business, Jim Balsillie, his role in the company, asking the boss for promotion guarantees, his rival with the plan, his stealing the plans, presenting them to the board meeting, the boss and reactions, his being fired?
6. The characters of Mike and Doug, Mike and his talent, science and engineering, Doug and the touch of the late hippy, freewheeling, supporting Mike, making decisions for him? Their coming to the board, the demonstration, the failure, their not being picked up? The loan, the amount of money, the needs?
7. Jim, initially dismissing the two, his making contact, the meeting, the proposal? His lack of knowledge of technology? His instinct for business, for deals? His ambitions? The film not showing anything about his back story, his private life, his family? Just the focus on him and his business interests?
8. Mike and Doug, their friendship, success, the phone, the computer, combining it into the Black Barry? The film showing nothing of the back life or families of the two of them?
9. Jim and his play for the company, money issues, wanting to be CEO, Doug in the assistance of Mike and urging him is co-CEO? The members of the staff, young, their expertise, casual, the atmosphere in the company, joking, movie night and the enjoyment?
10. The visit to the American company, the President and his scepticism, Jim not making a good impression, Mike, leaving the prototype model in the taxi, coming late, Jim failing, Mike explaining, getting the attention of the company? The financial situation, the progress?
11. The development of the BlackBerry, on the market, success, sales? The change for Mike, growing older, more of business sense, relentless? The contrast with Doug, always happy-go-lucky? Jim’s disapproval?
12. The hiring of the large supervisor, his presence, stopping movie night, telling the workers that they were children and needed to grow up, the change of atmosphere in the company? The effect on Doug?
13. Jim, the range of meetings, heads of companies, deals, his poaching experts from other companies, going to Google, the $10 million offer, backdating the documents? Building up the expertise? Paul, the Asian, the Asian man and his shrewdness in knowing what was going on?
14. The years passing, success? The background of Steve Jobs, the 1990s, his emerging in the to thousands, the iPad, the insertion of the actual scene of Jobs presenting the iPad? Mike and his unwillingness to see what was happening, underestimating Jobs?
15. Jim, under suspicion from the authorities, the phone calls? Jim and his liking for ice hockey, the games, support for teams, the clash with the CEO who did not like hockey? Yet wanting to do deals, his flying to New York, to Atlanta, being turned down, his wanting to buy teams…?
16. The authorities, the phone calls, coming to see Mike, Jim arriving, Mike having done a deal, the downturn of the company, being outdone by Steve Jobs, not developing the BlackBerry to match it, Mike and his preoccupations about the screen, the keyboard…?
17. Doug, leaving the company, financially secure? Jim, avoiding jail, fishing? Mike, being anti-Chinese manufacturing, submitting, testing the phones, the rattle which he had been able to eliminate earlier, in the vast number of cases of phones, all non-functional?
18. A story of rise and fall, a chance to look back over what it happened with computers, phones, communication, the 1990s, extraordinary developments, and everybody having a phone?