It’s already been an interesting year with rights for a video game (“Tetris”) and shoe deals (“Air”) providing some of the most compelling source material for films.

The latest is “BlackBerry,” which chronicles the rise and fall of the first smartphone – with director and co-writer Matt Johnson (working with co-writer Matt Miller) creating a smart and funny cautionary tale of how not to succeed in business.

“BlackBerry” begins in the early development stages of the device with Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Doug Fregin (Johnson) creating a phone that is capable of doing things normally reserved for the computer.

Their pitches fail for the most part until a businessman named Jim Balsillie (Glen Howerton giving a fabulous performance) enters the picture – brought on board to be the hard-nosed negotiator that Mike and Doug can’t be.

As the BlackBerry starts to rise in popularity, the three men start to let success get to their heads in different ways. But the good times don’t last, with a new invention from a man named Steve Jobs.

Johnson draws a lot from his previous film “Operation Avalanche” – a docudrama about the CIA hiring filmmakers to fake the moon landing. Like “Avalanche,” “BlackBerry” takes a stripped down approach like we are in the room with these characters, but still has a slick stylish look that captures the nostalgia factor the same way that “Air” and “Tetris” did.

Howerton absolutely owns the film as Jim – a driven, hockey loving businessman who tried to use the success of the BlackBerry to parlay that into an NHL franchise (Nashville Predators fans might be familiar with his failed attempt to buy that team). It’s a performance that is both funny and terrifying with Jim the kind of guy you don’t want to negotiate with.

Baruchel is also very good, playing off his soft-spoken best friend persona that he has played in previous films. It’s the perfect ying to Howerton’s bombastic yang – a toxic relationship that was obviously designed to fail from the start.

The two leads and the infusion of humor really proves to be the driving force behind the success of “BlackBerry.” Who would have thought that a film about a smart phone could be so much fun?

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton

Directed by: Matt Johnson

Rating: R for language throughout

Playing at: Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10

Grade: B