‘Blackberry’ Blu-Ray Review – A Terrifically Fun Look At The Creation Of The Original Smartphone

‘BlackBerry’ tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men who charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.

For in-depth thoughts on Blackberry, please see my colleague Larry Fried’s review from its festival debut here.

For additional insights, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: 

Video Quality

Blackberry comes to Blu-Ray in a pleasing 1080p presentation that brings the narrative to life without a hiccup. This release presents the film in two different versions— the theatrical version and a 3-part Limited Series version—each given its own disc to shine. The film primarily exhibits a cold and clinical aesthetic within the color palette which renders well in high definition. With that being said, there are a number of hues that impress thanks to the complexity of some of the background and design elements. 

The transfer delivers texture within the clothing, makeup effects, and production design that adds notable dimensionality to the picture. Skin tones are detailed and natural throughout the ensemble. Highlights are handled favorably with no indication of blooming, and the black levels are deep and do not suffer from any crush or compression artifacts. There are a few occurrences of banding, but it is not an overwhelming issue. The transfer handles every aspect with great consideration and care. IFC Films has done a lovely job with this release.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a rock-solid DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that easily projects this story into your living room. The sound design is not overly bombastic, but the sounds conjure a world that is as bustling as you expect a high-pressure workplace drama to be. The biting dialogue comes through clearly without ever being drowned out by competing sounds. Environmental flourishes expand the soundscape to give the world some unique qualities. Needle drops and the score flow through the room when they need to with a consistent fidelity. This introduces some texture to the low end that makes itself known. Nothing comes up short with the audio portion of the disc. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

• Theatrical Version (1:59:47) and 3-Part Limited Series Presentation (2:10:57)

• Audio Commentaries: Three commentary tracks are provided, which tackle the film from multiple angles, including the production of the feature and the presentation of the story. You learn a lot about the production, creating the look of the film, the work of the performers, the shooting locations, challenges faced during the shoot, and more. 

• • Audio Commentary #1: Director/co-writer Matt Johnson and editor Curt Lobb

• • Audio Commentary #2: Matt Johnson, producer/co-writer Matt Miller, executive producer/composer Jay McCarrol, associate producer/cinematographer Jared Raab, and production designer Adam Belanger

• • Audio Commentary #3: Former RIM engineer Matthias Wand

• Featurettes: An array of brief featurettes is provided that gives a broad overview of some of the individual craft elements.

• • The Crew of Blackberry (4:06)

• • Scoring Blackberry (6:16)

• • Editing Blackberry (4:19)

• • Directing Blackberry (4:10)

• • Cinematography (7:39)

• • Locations and Art (4:37)

• • Creating Animatics (10:21)

• Goofs and Spoofs: A six-minute collection of ruined takes, goofing arounds, forgotten lines, and more. 

• Fly on the Wall: A four-minute collection of fly-on-the-wall footage is provided from the production, interspersed with interviews with the cast and creative team.

• Original Trailer (2:24) 

• Booklet: A multi-page booklet is provided featuring an essay from filmmaker BenDavid Grabinski in which he dives into the brilliance of the movie and all involved in its creation. 

Final Thoughts

Blackberry is entertaining as hell from beginning to end. The drama behind the history of this early smartphone is compelling, but what really makes this film work so well is the time spent establishing these unique personalities. There are so many moments of levity throughout, yet the story knows how to land a dramatic punch when it needs to. The tonal balancing act is a testament to the work of Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller, who always keep things right in the pocket. This is indie filmmaking perfect for a broad audience. IFC Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation, two versions of the film, and some insightful special features. Recommended 

Blackberry is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome/OCN Distribution. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: IFC Films & OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.