Air (released 2023). Ryan's Rating: ✯✯✯1/2 (out of four)
It's only a movie until someone goes to see it.
This is the type of movie I truly wish there were more of in the theaters. Air directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery (in his first produced script) tells the story of Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon), the down on his luck Nike, Inc. recruiter who in 1984 bet his career and Nike's fledgling basketball shoe division on the wild idea to sign a rookie named Michael Jordan. We have all bought a pair of Air Jordan shoes and we know Michael Jordan would become one of, if not, the greatest basketball players but even with these foregone conclusions the film is still able to hold the tension, suspense and drama. While some may think this is a basketball movie or a story of Michael Jordan it really is not. It is the classic underdog story about the behind the scenes players when Nike was just a jogging shoe.
Damon, who gained a bit of weight for the role, is in a part similar to that of 2019's Ford v Ferrari (a movie I was also a big fan of and recommend). He brings an honesty, everyman quality, and screen presence and turns in a fine performance. It is also a joy for a fan like me who has seen him from his reckless young roles like Will Hunting and the gambler in Rounders through Jason Bourne actions, into these mature roles where he still carries the same determination and we stand for something attitude of those early films. To me he is the Jack Lemmon of today. The way Lemmon was to the 1970s and 1980s, a sturdy leading almost character actor who we can identify with and believe in.
The cast is filled with familiar faces and they fit their roles perfectly: Affleck plays Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight with his Buddhist aphorisms and his purple running suits. Chris Tucker as Howard White a Nike executive who eventually became the VP of the Air Jordan line, Tucker is very good as a supporting character actor at this point in his career while still employing the energy from his youth. I hope he does more of these dramatic supporting roles (similar to his work in Silver Linings Playbook). Jason Bateman plays the marketing executive and his deadpan expressions and delivery was made for this type of dialogue. Chris Messina, in a patented Messina role, as foul mouth sports agent David Falk. Matthew Maher steals his scenes as the odd designer who created the Air Jordan shoes. And the always wonderful Viola Davis (apparently requested by Michael Jordan to play this role) brings a gravitas and power to her handful of scenes as Mrs. Jordan, Michael's mom. The close-ups of her talking on the phone are a master class in performance.
Convery's screenplay is well done with eloquent yet believable dialogue that is delivered in a fast back and forth manner it reminded me of Aaron Sorkin's work as well as those Howard Hawks 1940s films. Affleck's direction is also strong, he gets good performances and knows how to stage scenes while there aren't any big actions sequences he knows how to move the camera and he knows how to pace a film (neither of which are no longer givens in the movie industry sadly). The film also comes in just under two hours it knows how to tell its story. The omnipresent songs from the 1980s (Cyndi Lauper, Night Ranger, Big Country, etc) on the soundtrack was distracting and at times seemed overkill but I did appreciate the use of Tangerine Dream songs from other 1980s films, a nice nod to film buffs.
Produced by Amazon Studios they have decided to release it only in theaters and while it is not a special effects extravaganza it reminded me of how satisfying seeing a solid well made film on the big screen can be. Almost as satisfying as my Air Jordan shoes from when I was a kid.
