Genre – Business Drama – True Story
Time: 2 Hours
Platform: Netflix
Director: Matt Johnson
Once upon a time, there were mobile phones.
The mobile phone revolution was well on its and became an accepted part of daily life. In the late 1990s , (at least in India), if you had a mobile, then you had arrived in life and you could flaunt the latest, shortest, cutest mobile. Remember this ad from Ericsson ?
And then came Blackberry.
Everyone sat up and took notice. If you were a senior manager or part of top management, the Blackberry was a status symbol and of great flaunt value (yours truly included). You could not just make a call, but send emails, take pictures and send them and generally – as was bandied about – take faster decisions.
And then came the I Phone
And Blackberry collapsed.
Why did this happen ? How did this happen ? what went on behind the scenes behind this meteoric rise that led to an equally catastrophic fall ?
Answer to all of the above is in the 2023 film Blackberry .
Never has there been such a more eloquent film title that conveys the entire story. Blackberry was not just a device but a lifestyle choice, and part of corporate chic.
The entire story is dramatized – with lots of masala – in this brilliant film. There is violence but only of the verbal four letter kind from Jim Balsillie ( Glenn Howerton) to engineers and developers whose idea of a unique cell based phone and mail device Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson) attracts him. He pushes it and makes a huge success of the device.
A film stereotype is also enhanced. Marketing and sales types are profit grubbing , foul mouthed people while the developers and engineers are nerds who are in love with tech for the sake of tech. Naturally the engineers and marketing types are always at loggerheads.
I admit that I didn’t know the total story of RIM, the developers of Blackberry. Even if this is a masala laden story – and the film clearly says that it is BASED on true stories – the film is exceptionally engaging and absorbing as we see the rise and fall of the device and the people associated with it.
Again. I am NOT writing a detailed view here.
Its two hours well spent. It is available on Netflix
Real History – 3 out of 5
Script – 4 out of 5
Story – 4 out of 5
Direction – 5 out of 5
Production Design – 5 out of 5
Total – 4.2 out of 5
Thanks, Rammesh.
I was not aware of this one, and it’s easily accessible on Netflix. Will add to my list. As aways, great review..
Regards… Robin