Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of May 8, 2023
Blackberry
Rated R for language throughout
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
In Theaters
For a large percentage of the 40+ population, the Blackberry (or “crackberry” as many of us called it), was a major stepping stone into our cell phone addiction. It was the first phone that allowed us to truly communicate with other devices and even access the internet, even if limited by today’s standards. In this new film by Matt Johnson, the filmmakers explore the rise and fall of the phone that got us to the iPhone. The story follows RIM creator and CEO Mike Lazaridis (How to Train Your Dragon’s Jay Baruchel) and cutthroat co-CEO Jim Balsillie (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Glenn Howerton) as they go from literally creating the hottest invention on the planet to complete implosion within just a matter of a few years. For those of us who lived in this time period, the film fills in the gaps of what happened to our trusted little best friend. But for many, it just serves as a great story about how to, and how not to, create an innovate product and keep it relevant. It is a frequently funny, but always interesting tale filled with some really great performances and a biting screenplay. Very reminiscent of the recent Air Jordan film, “Air,” the tale is filled with nostalgia but is also much more complex than you think it will be. And while the script is difficult to fact check, the ups and downs are completely believable and filled with schadenfreude. Ultimately, what you get is a terrifically entertaining film with nuanced performances from a talented cast, all with a ring of truth that will connect with many audience members who lived though that time as they tried to keep up with the hottest new personal technologies. A-