Air Movie Review
Nathan Swank
April 15th, 2023
Growing up as a kid in the 80’s and 90’s, Michael Jordan was king. Like all kids, I had a poster of him and dreamed of flying high just as he did. I think anyone of my generation is going to love AIR. But even without that Michael Jordan connection, I think AIR has enough significance to culture of business, advertising, and players to find interesting on many levels.
AIR is technically not about Michael Jordan. It’s actually about a 3rd rate shoe company Nike, just doing it…errr all they can to sign the biggest deal in history for one player, beating out larger shoe companies, Adidas and Converse. I’m sort of giving away the end, but Air Jordans are still a super popular and lucrative shoe, so if you don’t know that Michael Jordan signed with Nike, then there is still a whole world out there for you to discover.
AIR is a procedural drama in that it is really people talking in rooms trying to implement plans and strategy to achieve an end result. It’s not flashy, other than the wicked awesome 80’s costuming and style, dressed to the fullest by Ben Affleck as the Nike head honcho Phil Knight. The main character is Sonny Vaccaro, played by Matt Damon, who is the mastermind behind the idea of putting all their money and creativity behind one player and he believes Michael to be that guy before most. I’ve got to say, I love a good origin story to see how things happen and the process of how we reached a point in history through the eyes of unknown people.
AIR is surprisingly exhilarating, funny, and truly interesting, despite already knowing the outcome. The film is mostly composed of a series of different conversations. Director Ben Affleck and screenwriter Alex Convery really seem to know adapting words to cinema in a people pleasing way when covering a seemingly boring topic. Snappy dialogue spoken by charismatic monster talent like Matt Damon, Jason Bateman (my personal favorite performance), and Chris Tucker as Nike employees is a surefire way to make a film interesting. Viola Davis as Jordan’s mom Deloris comes in for a few scenes, but her powerhouse presence is felt throughout. Chris Messina as Jordan’s agent, Matthew Maher as the shoe designer, and Marlon Wayans all are terrific in supporting roles. Michael Jordan is wisely kept hidden, adding to the icon and focusing on the story.
It’s always great to see Affleck and Damon on screen together. I’ve loved them since GOOD WILL HUNTING and they have each found great success over the years, while maintaining this sort of down to earth presence even in their super stardom. AIR isn’t any groundbreaking material, but it is exceptional in its storytelling and easily recommendable. AIR is the type of fascinating story that is rarely made, but desperately needed.
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