Blackberry

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

I started this movie on a plane and finished it at home and loved it! I thought it was an incredibly told story about something in recent history, which made it feel relatable. The story of Blackberry is actually really sad, and while this movie doesn't make the people involved lovable it does make the epic rise and fall seem dramatic. Its cool to see all the buildings I drive by every day in this movie, and living in Waterloo its impossible not to be aware of RIM - I play volleyball at RIM park every week! Its this company that has been forgotten so quickly, with all their buildings being rebranded or sticking out like big pyramids marking the graves of the rich Waterloo tech kings of 10 years ago. I'm sure everyone my age remembers how prevalent Blackberrys were for a handful of years, and the way they were completely discarded shortly after is a great cautionary tale.

The movie is told through these zoomed in camera lenses, like we are watching nature from afar, peering into things we shouldn't be seeing. I thought the 2 leads were fantastic and funny, with an intense dynamic. The final scene of this movie was crushing to me, and I thought so poignant as someone who works in tech. A movie so good I spent an hour on wikipedia after reading about all the characters involved - heck I might even order the book this is based on!

I appreciate how much time this movie covers as well, it doesn't linger on big breakthroughs. It shows us pivotal moments, then years go by and we see the aftermath. Helped it not feel like a stuffy biography and made the company's demise feel all the more abrupt. I cant emphasize enough how interesting it is seeing this tech breakthrough get left in the dust in real time, and then also being alive to see the details told in a movie like this. I hated Blackberrys at the time, in fact I hated the idea of smart phones and swore I would never get one, but I hate Apple even more, and I truly wish this local giant founded 10 minutes from Amish country could still be relevant. The culture looked toxic and the leadership was insane, but there is no denying the innovation of the product. But being first isn't important when someone bigger can come along and eat your lunch.

I think movies that talk about recent history (thinking of The Big Short for example) can feel too influenced by current events, but this is a period piece that feels distinct to that time and place. Just great stuff all around, I will be recommending this to everyone.