Using his previous film, the embellished period thriller Operation Avalanche, as a stepping stone towards his latest feature, Canadian renegade Matt Johnson takes another crack at the biopic genre with BlackBerry.  Director Johnson (co-writing with frequent collaborator/producer Matthew Miller) chronicles the rise and fall of the titular game-changing portable device that allowed users online access and exclusive text-based communication.

The comparisons to David Fincher’s Oscar-winning drama The Social Network are expected but, personally, I’m more compelled to reference Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell, a fictitious drama about a transitionary period experienced by a troubled rock star with various addictions.  Both Her Smell and BlackBerry work in movements where the narrative uses three prime memories to tell a story about endurance.  Her Smell worked from rock bottom towards newfound inspiration, whereas BlackBerry follows a more routine arc featuring struggling technicians and inventors hitting a stride followed by a detrimental decline.  The common theme that lines each memory in BlackBerry, other than endurance, is “faking it ’til you make it”.  The genius behind the making of the device, as well as the marketing and selling angle of it, were initiated by intelligent people who had more confidence than assured research.  They weren’t pulling a con job, they were just trying to get to the next step in their endeavours.  This recurring behaviour creates tension for BlackBerry between key developmental players as we see the purpose of their own personal missions.  Each third of BlackBerry is using a story that is very specific to its timeline, and it’s brilliantly contextualized within the psychology of its characters.

Like Johnson’s previous work (which also includes his feature-length debut The Dirties and his web series/VICE series Nirvanna The Band The Show), the movie is always challening itself (and the audience) with the perspective its offering movie goers.  The dirctorial visions fits within BlackBerry’s storytelling, although some details feel unidentified (such as the degree of education and maturity of the device’s engineers).  However, it also further benefits the blend of dark comedy and biographical drama, which is arguably more memorable (and revolutionary) than this terrific film’s fleeting shortcomings.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie