MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Biographical Sports Drama/Stars: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Matthew Maher, Julius Tennon, Tom Papa, Joel Gretsch, Gustaf Skarsgård, Barbara Sukowa, Jessica Green, Dan Bucatinsky/Runtime: 112 minutes
I think it is safe to say that from the moment I watched footage of him on the court growing up, I was in awe of the man the world knows as Michael Jordan. Indeed here was a guy that, heck yes was awesome in Space Jam, but who when he played basketball was more than a mere mortal. Rather, he was no more or less than a titan of the game itself. I mean from how the ball would just seemingly come out of his hands perfectly when he went for a jump shot and his darn-near magical leaping ability that he often showcased in Slam Dunk Contests all the way to “The Shot” in 1998’s NBA Finals and his phenomenal defensive talents respectively here was a man that not only made you believe in a rare yet special kind of magic. Rather, he also made each and every one of us take a long hard look at ourselves and feel that, like Mike, we too could do anything we set our minds to accomplishing every time we were lucky enough to see him put on that uniform and show us all that he could do. Suffice it to say that, after all that the man has accomplished both on and off the court, it isn’t wrong to say that he is now and always will be (at least to me) the finest player that the sport has ever produced. Yet, if there is one thing that most people know about the man that they call “His Airness” it’s the fact that he has his own shoe known as the Air Jordan from Nike. What most don’t know however is the absolutely wild story of how this business deal came to happen. Fortunately for all of us that is an answer that Ben Affleck is now willing to provide in the form of the new slice of cinema I am reviewing for all of you today known simply as Air. Indeed, here is a film that, plot focus on the biggest sports business deal of all time aside, is ultimately one which reveals itself to revolve around the aspiration as well as confidence we as people often put in others in some of the biggest moments of our lives be they personal or professional and that beautiful feeling of having that trust paid back in full to us in ways we could never have imagined. Suffice it to say then that, when you also take into account truly phenomenal work on both sides of the camera, Air is a bonafide slam dunk and a true must-see in every sense of the word.
The plot is as follows: Taking us all the way back in time to the long-ago (for some) year of 1984, Air gets underway by shuttling us over to the HQ for a little company known as Nike whose CEO, one Phil Knight, is about to slam the book on its basketball division for good. This is because, when looking at the overall picture on paper, Nike is the third-largest biggest company for sports attire in the United States, but the reality of the situation is a lot more dire. As in Nike is still struggling far and away against both rival organizations Converse and Addidas plus continuously floundering in their attempts to get top tier NBA talent to work with them dire. Yet just when all hope is lost, we see that an unlikely hero emerges. One who takes the shape and form of a executive known as Sonny Vaccaro. A man who, among other attributes about him, decides to propose a quite unorthodox and, if I’m being honest, quite gutsy solution to Nike’s dilemma. That being to, rather than spend the sponsorship budget that Nike has available on trying to get 3-4 potential signees, take all the money and put it towards signing a North Carolina college b-ball star, and third pick in the NBA draft by the name of (get this) Michael Jordan. Like I said: gutsy. Yet, right off the bat, we see that this idea, although good intentioned, has more than its fair share of road blocks. Indeed not only is Michael’s agent vehemently against him taking on a deal with a third-string shoe company like Nike since he has already committed quite wholeheartedly to Addidas, but even some of the people Sonny works with at Nike strongly feel that the gamble Sonny is taking here won’t just fail. Rather, it will also result in no more and less than the future of Nike as a company being placed on the potential chopping block as well. Yet, out of everyone, there is one person that is standing in the way of our intrepid hero and his dream who he might need to get to work with him on this. That person would be none other than Michael’s devoted to a t mom Deloris since she might just be the only person who sees the vastness of her son’s potential as a player. Thus can our dogged and determined hero make his way through these various obstacles in his path in order to not only save the company, but also potentially usher in a new and exciting chapter in sports history? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader….
Now right off the bat, it should be noted that the work being done behind the camera is a slam dunk in every sense of the word. This starts with the work at the helm by Ben Affleck and honestly this is definitely a welcome and wonderful rebound following his efforts on 2016’s Live By Night. Indeed perhaps the key think that really helps to ensure this slice of cinema succeeds on the level that it ultimately is able to though is the focus on the bond shared by the team at Nike as well as their distinct ties that they all have with each other. Of course, to no surprise given that this IS a movie with both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in it, we also see that the snarky comments and general cool vibe are in full swing here. Yet, just when it looks to be too much, we see that Affleck is then willing to let it simmer down in order to incorporate some emotional moments like when we learn what motivates a particular character like Nike’s director of marketing Rob Strasser for example. As a result, we see that this makes the back and forth between all of the cast of players in this, be it spoken or non-spoken, feel more genuine as well as earnest with particular regard to not only some truly hilarious exchanges between Sonny and Jordan’s agent David Falk, but also some truly honest and heartfelt ones as well between the aforementioned Sonny and Jordan’s loving and devoted mom Deloris. Not content with just that though, we see that Affleck and his creative team behind the camera really goes a long way toward making this feel very much like a product of the era. A feat not just heard in this slice of cinema’s rockin’ soundtrack or seen in the delightfully 80s hairstyles some of the cast are rockin’ with undisguised glee and enthusiasm. Rather, it is also made apparent when we see that Affleck is also willing to incorporate a variety of footage from the era in order to really place you feet first in this truly iconic era. In that same vein, we see that the work from the cinematography department does a great job at showcasing scenes near the beginning in a way that really did remind me of those old school VHS tapes back in the day. Yet as the movie goes along and the image on screen gets clearer, we see that this is able to work in synchronicity with the beautiful vintage set design from the phenomenal production design team quite well. In fact, if you are someone who is a passionate fan of either Nike, the history of this iconic shoe company, or both I would definitely tell you to keep your eyes peeled because the production design team here has definitely placed quite a few throwbacks in the Nike office for you to try and notice. Finally, I also think praise should be given here to the work done by the costume department for a great job at decking the people in the Nike office out in the wonderfully old school Nike threads that they’re all rocking at some point or another. Suffice it to say that the creative team behind the camera manages to do a wonderful job of not only lovingly and passionately transporting you back in time to the Go Go 80s, but also in making this slice of cinema soar in all the right ways and then some.
Of course, the other thing that most assuredly helps this slice of cinema succeed on the level that it does would have to be without question the cast of immensely talented players in front of the camera. Indeed not only is there not a single weak link to be found amongst them, but each and every one of them all manage to find a way to work as an ensemble without anyone ever stepping on the toes of the other people involved so to speak. This starts with Matt Damon in the lead role of Sonny Vaccaro and he is fantastic. Indeed Matt Damon has always been one of those actors who can always be counted on, no matter the quality of the overall film, to give a fairly solid performance. Suffice it to say that is also the case here in this film as well as we see that Damon does a great job at showcasing for us this middle-aged, kinda fluffy schlub of sorts who gets this wild idea in his head and proceeds to just take off and run with it. Not because it’s easy or because the odds are in his favor of pulling it off, but because he knows that Jordan is not just a one-of-a-kind talent. Rather, he is also just the player that his company needs in order to both save their basketball division, but to also get the chance to operate as the peak in their respective industry as well. Thus this really is one heck of a performance and Damon sells it, heart and all, in a way that is both heartfelt and just downright inspiring. Of course, it should also come as no surprise to learn that Affleck himself is working in front of the camera as well as his directorial duties and, in the role of Nike CEO Phil Knight, we see that Affleck does a great job at playing this guy who is a delightful mix of Buddhist teachings, corporate leanings, and practical sensibilities all rolled into one. Of course, the undisputed VIP in terms of casting for this slice would far and away have to be screen icon Viola Davis in the pivotal role of Michael Jordan’s mom Deloris. Indeed Davis has for awhile now been one of our most iconic actresses and here she is just fantast as this woman who, nerves of steel and ambitious gut aside, is perhaps the only person who knows just what her son brings to this game that so many love and is willing to hear you out….if you can show her that you are able to see what she has always known. Suffice it to say that it is a fantastic performance, but from an actress of Davis’s caliber I can scarcely call that a surprise. Meanwhile this slice of cinema also manages to acquire some really wonderful co-starring efforts from such screen dignitaries as a terrifically smart-alecky Jason Bateman who is brilliant in the role of Rob Strasser, Chris Messina who is having a blast being as delightfully slimy and sleazy as possible in the role of Michael’s agent David Falk, Chris Tucker who, in the role of former basketball player turned Nike exec Howard White, is easily both genuinely funny and charming in his screentime to say nothing of the fact that he plays off Matt Damon’s comedic style perfectly, and even a brief yet no less welcome turn from none other than Marlon Wayans who is brilliant in the role of Jordan’s old Olympic team basketball coach George Raveling. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in winning efforts from such talents as Matthew Maher, Julius Tennon, Tom Papa, and Joel Gretsch to name but a few it’s safe to say that the cast of players in front of the camera are all truly exceptional and each one gets at least one moment to shine and, in the process, remind us of their skill and talent as performers in the land of movie magic.
All in all it might be an odd way to end this review, but did you know that people in the United States spend a gargantuan amount of moolah on basketball shoes every single year? To be sure, I definitely get that we all at some point or another during a year might need some new kicks. With that being said though, the truth is that it really doesn’t matter if the shoe you rock has the check mark of Nike, the trinity of stripes from Adidas, or even the star of Converse adorning them. Why then, you might be wondering, does it actually matter to a lot of people then? Well I guess it’s because to a lot of people they aren’t just merely buying some new kicks. Rather, they are making an investment in the idea of walking in another person’s shoes with the hope being that by rocking a shoe that an already great person wears then this too shall positively impact your chances of being someone great in this world too. With that train of thought in mind, I guess for me I’m hoping that maybe by watching Air it too might be able to impact those who give it a watch’s chances of achieving some kind of greatness in their own lives in some way. I say that because, like the aforementioned shoes, this slice of cinema is not only absolutely fantastic and a true must-see in every sense of the word, but it also gives you the chance to figuratively walk alongside some true legends as they portray a group of people who all went on to become noteworthy in their own right. Indeed the work behind the camera is skilled and extremely well-done and the work done in front of the camera by this slice of cinema’s truly top-flight cast of players is top-tier in every sense of the word no matter how big or small their part in the overall proceedings might be. Suffice it to say then that Air is more than just a bonafide cinematic slam-dunk. Rather, it’s also a rousing and inspiring tale about how one person, with the right individuals in their respective corner, can find the means to construct a landmark legacy that will truly last for all time. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Air “2023” a solid 4.5 out of 5.
