BlackBerry

BlackBerry is a 2023 Canadian biographical comedy-drama film about the history of the BlackBerry line of mobile phones. It is directed by Matt Johnson from a script by Johnson and co-producer Matthew Miller, which was adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff's book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, and stars Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in the respective lead roles as Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. It also stars Johnson, Rich Sommer, Michael Ironside, Martin Donovan, Michelle Giroux, SungWon Cho, Saul Rubinek, and Cary Elwes.
BlackBerry premiered in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2023. The film was released in Canada three months later, on May 12. The film has received critical acclaim.
== Premise ==
BlackBerry tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.
== Cast ==
* Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis
* Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie
* Cary Elwes as Carl Yankowski
* Saul Rubinek as John Woodman
* Michael Ironside as Charles Purdy
* Rich Sommer as Paul Stannos
* SungWon Cho as Ritchie Cheung
* Michelle Giroux as Dara Frankel
* Matt Johnson as Douglas Fregin
== Production ==
In August 2022, the film was announced after it had wrapped production.
== Release ==
BlackBerry premiered in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2023. IFC Films acquired the rights to distribute the film in the United States, with Paramount Global Content Distribution acquiring multiple international territories for distribution. The film was released in Canada on May 12, 2023, by Elevation Pictures.
== Reception ==
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The critical consensus read; "With intelligence as sharp as its humor, BlackBerry takes a terrifically entertaining look at the rise and fall of a generation-defining gadget." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
== Videos ==
BlackBerry - Official Trailer ft. Jay Baruchel & Glenn Howerton - HD - IFC Films
Category:Canadian films
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Category:Comedy-drama
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