BlackBerry

42

124 minutes – Drama, Comedy, Biography, Technology,
Language: English
Festival release date: February 17, 2023 (Berlin International Film Festival)
Release date: May 12, 2023 (Canada)
Production companies: Rhombus Media, Zapruder Films
Canadian distributor: Elevation Pictures

It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Seemingly overnight the three men revolutionize the way people work, communicate and connect. Celebrities, politicians and businessmen are now addicted to their Blackberrys, their “crackberries.” The company’s value skyrockets, yet within a few short years shady business dealings, personal grievances, and, perhaps most dangerously, the iPhone, threaten the company’s incredible success in this darkly comedic telling of the tragic tale of a Canadian company that revolutionized the way we communicate, before swiftly plummeting into obsolescence.

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.
Also see: Northernstars.ca reviews BlackBerry.

Blackberry, movie, poster,

Crew:

Producer:

Niv Fichman
Fraser Ash
Kevin Krikst
Matthew Miller

Executive Producer:

Nate Bolotin
Maxime Cottray
Adrian Love
Jay McCarrol
Noah Segal
Nick Spicer
Aram Tertzakian
Robert Upchurch

Associate Producer:

Matt Greyson
Curt Lobb
Jared Raab

Line Producer:

Kristy Neville

Director:

Matt Johnson

Screenwriter:

Matt Johnson
Matthew Miller

Cinematographer:

Jared Raab

Editor:

Curt Lobb

Composer:

Jay McCarrol

Production Designer:

Adam Belanger

Costume Designer:

Hanna Puley

Cast: Roles:

Jay Baruchel
Glenn Howerton
Cary Elwes
Saul Rubinek
Matt Johnson
Rich Sommer
Michael Ironside
Michelle Giroux
SungWon Cho
Mark Critch
Laura Cilevitz
Elena Juatco
Martin Donovan
Ethan Eng
Eric Osborne
Al Bernstein
Samantha Brown
Gregory Ambrose Calderone
Jim Chad
David Christo
Maher El Hares
Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll
Malakai Fox
Lauren Howe
Rayhan Jabbar
Janna Katz
Stephanie Moran
Ben Petrie
Gwynne Phillips
Michael Scott
Kelly Van der Burg
Jinny Wong
Fuad Musayev
Keanu Lee Nunes
Timothy Reynolds

Mike Lazaridis
Jim Balsillie
Carl Yankowski
John Woodman
Doug
Paul Stannos
Charles Purdy
Dara Frankel
Ritchie Cheung
Bettman





Building Manager
Heidi Balsillie
Young Businessman
Colorado Rockies Owner
Pilot
RIM 2 Engineer
Jack Manishen
RIM 2 Engineer
Bell Assistant
Confused Engineer
Waitress #2
Peggy
Allan Lewis
Real Estate Agent
Scott
Jasmine
Bank Manager