(opens in a new tab) His vaguely chaotic vibes infuse BlackBerry with jolting pacing, racing through the plot, montages, and archival footage with the help of acutely captured stock characters. Ahead of the SXSW premiere, he took to the stage in Doug's costume, excitedly chattering to the audience about the cuts made to the film since its World Premiere at the Berlinale. And as his character is the emotional stakes of the movie, BlackBerry never quite comes together.Īs a filmmaker, Johnson's energy is infectious. Without punchlines or pluck, Baruchel is lost. But he never quite clicks in the role, feeling like a drag amid warring dragons. Baruchel is earnest in his portrayal, shedding the jovial smile and shouldering a stiff physicality that speaks to Mike's internalized struggle. Unfortunately, Baruchel at its center fumbles.Ī comedic actor who's made his mark by playing lovable goofs, he's oddly cast as a meek introvert who mumbles and emotes through tediously repressed expression. As a longtime Sunny fan, Howerton's outbursts alone make BlackBerry worth watching. They both deliver performances that brush off the cobwebs of prestige biopics in favor of something funnier and fiercer. Johnson casts himself and his guileless exuberance as the gawky angel on Mike's shoulder, while Howerton is a capitalist devil. Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie in "BlackBerry." Credit: IFC FilmsĪmid business meetings, snarled contract negotiations, and outright screaming matches, BlackBerry is less interested in the story of the phone than it is in the battle for Mike's soul. Glenn Howerton hits hilarity Jay Baruchel struggles in a straight-man role. By the time BlackBerry hits its predictable mid-way movie makeover, Mike is looking sharper in more ways than one. Sure, at first Mike pushes back to preserve his invention's integrity and his employees' loyalty. Where Johnson brings an almost obnoxious aw-shucks demeanor to Mike, Howerton channels the comic rage he's shown throughout It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to a ruthless point, plunging it mercilessly into BlackBerry's corporate culture. Jim, a shark in a suit, is always on the move up the corporate ladder, and he won't suffer fools or dawdlers. Doug is the kind of guy who'll pointedly quote Star Wars in a business pitch and fight passionately to preserve silly office traditions, like a plunger's quirky placement and a weekly movie night - deadlines be damned! But as their company's potential grows, Mike's being lost - as Doug might put it - to the Dark Side. Through the three interweaving arcs of Doug, Mike, and Jim, the script (co-written by Johnson and Matthew Miller) charts a stark tale of Goofus vs. BlackBerry is a cautionary tale jolted with humor and heart. BlackBerry charts their hardscrabble beginnings, their heady success, and then the outrageous manipulations - and crimes - committed to trying to keep them on top of the smartphone game once the iPhone arrives. But a great idea is a great idea, and even with their clumsy pitch - "a cellphone and an email machine all in one thing" - it's clear this is a great idea.ĭespite their personality clashes and bouts of distrust, the Canadian trio turns this hybrid device into a whole new industry. It's little surprise then that ball-busting exec Jim (Glenn Howerton shaved into a balding menace) can barely contain his repulsion. Meanwhile, Mike, wearing geeky aviator glasses and a shirt the color of an old envelope, looks more like an unassuming bank clerk than tech's next big star. Ever-bedecked in a sweatband, juvenile graphic tees, and gym shorts, Doug's disdain for business as usual is as pungent as his raggedy headgear. The inventing besties aren't much to look at. In 1996, Doug (Johnson) and Mike (Jay Baruchel in a glistening silver wig) tumbled into a meeting that would change their lives forever. Beyond their surface similarities, both films succeed or fail because of their central cast. Making its North American Premiere at the SXSW Festival, BlackBerry is in good company with Tetris, another tech-centered biopic that turns potentially boring business matters into chuckle-rumbling bits. Or at least it is as presented by co-writer, director, and co-star Matt Johnson in the frenetic BlackBerry. But for Mike Lazaridis, Doug Fregin, and Jim Balsillie, the minds behind the groundbreaking Blackberry, their rise and fall is the stuff of comedy. Tech icons Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs have inspired prestigious dramas like The Social Network and Steve Jobs.
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