BlackBerry

I really enjoyed this film even if it lacks veracity according to some viewers. I don't know what happened specifically as the new century began, but I do know that my friend Phil stopped using a pencil to take notes. Instead, out came the stylus and his Blackberry. They were everywhere and I felt like a neanderthal because I didn't have one. The portrayal of Nerd Central was quite funny and I got a kick out of their childish behavior. At first it was rather distracting. Then we got to see what amazing technicians they were. But they were eventually victimized by the lack of vision of their bosses. Also, money really talks and the competition is roiling around them the whole time and they aren't cognizant of some of it. This is a sleeper and well worth the time.

The rise and fall of Blackberry, the world's first smartphone, it's journey from initial conception, to funding, all the way through to its tragic collapse.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it's one I would suggest that has a universal appeal, one many will enjoy, fascinating to think this is where it all started, everything about our phones that we now take for granted.

What a fascinating story this is, I'm sure many of us had a blackberry back in the day, I certainly did, it was such a reliable device, it was a game changer, until iPhone that is.

It's an intriguing story, with several jaw dropping moments, including the way Jim made his initial impact, then went on and assembled such an incredible work force.

A few funny moments, and some very sad scenes too, sewing Mike desperately trying to put something together to compete with Apple was quite tragic, after doing all of the ground work, the tide literally turned overnight.

Glenn Howerton gives a show stealing performance as Jim, he's angry, he's short tempered, he wants things done yesterday, he's a high powered, highly motivated executive, dealing with a team who live life to the chill, what a strong performance, that scene where Jim realises that the game is up, fantastic.

The whole cast are excellent, Jay Baruchel and Matt Johnson were both great. Seeing Mike change over time, that was skilfully done.

I was surprised by how good this was.

8/10.

Between this, Air, and Tetris, I think this one takes the cake. The central performances (Jay Baruchel & Glenn Howerton) are fantastic, and both manage to captivate us with their distinct mannerisms and quirks. The story itself is very compellingly told, with details covered from multiple angles, including business, tech, marketing, employee relations, and more. There's no question that Hollywood loves discussing corporate wins and losses (well, mostly wins) and BlackBerry is certainly among the finest I've seen. Howerton (playing Jim Balsillie) is at his best when he loses his cool, throwing temper tantrums at almost everyone, including contemporaries, executives, and even private jet pilots. The rise and fall of BlackBerry was always going to be an exciting story, and director Matt Johnson does an excellent job with the material in hand.

Watching these movies about the crazy cutthroat businesses of the 80s and 90s is very entertaining. This movie was great, well acted, fast paced and fun throughout. I myself grew up during the time of the Blackberry but didn't know anything about their story, so this was a fascinating look into how crazy the tech world was at the time.

The real gem of the entire movie though was the Golden God himself, Glen Howerton. I've been a fan of Always Sunmy and I'm always interested in what the cast does outside of that show. I havnt seen Glen in a serious role yet but he delivered. In Always Sunny Glen plays a sociopath who is constantly getting angry, you could tell that in Blackberry he was able to use that for his character. Glen was by far the best part of this movie, funny and intimidating all at the same time.

It's a dark comedy of sorts. Not fully dark, but well done all around. Casting was great, especially Glen Howerton as the maniac CEO. Plays the part well, couldn't help but laugh at certain scenes because he's just like angry Dennis from Always Sunny.

It's a cool story too, about the rise and epic fall of the CrackBerry. If you're a bit older you'll remember well when the iPhone came out and destroyed the entire industry. I didn't know some of the things that happen besides that, so learned something too.

Overall it's a fast paced, fun little ride. It's a little too long and there's some poor character acting from the "geek coders", that's overwrought, but doesn't really impact the overall film. I already recommended to my buddy. 6.7/10.