'Air' Review: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Go Good Shoe Hunting in Sincere Sports Dramedy
Air
R: Language
Runtime: 1 Hour and 52 Minutes
Production Companies: Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Artists Equity, Mandalay Pictures
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Director: Ben Affleck
Writer: Alex Convery
Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Matthew Maher, Julius Tennon, Tom Papa
Release Date: April 5, 2023
Exclusively in Theaters
What else can we say about Nike Air Jordan’s chokehold in fashion? The Oregon-originated footwear brand is such a massive phenomenon that kids these days come out of the womb wearing them (along with an Encyclopedic knowledge of Michael Jordan’s career). Without Air Jordans, we wouldn’t have classic family feature masterpieces like Space Jam and Like Mike. Since the acquisition of property is all the rage in film at the moment (Tetris, Pinball, Blackberry), leave it up to BFFs director Ben Affleck and star Matt Damon to tell the true story of Air Jordan. This film may be a crowd-pleasing marketing sports drama to some, but to me, this is a Space Jam and Like Mike prequel. I don’t care what anyone says.
Set in 1984, Nike sports division recruiter Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) scouts up-and-coming Basketball talent straight out of high school to help give them partnership deals with the company. Vaccaro has a strict $250K budget to get a few players under Nike’s belt. Sadly, Vaccaro and Nike are in a creative rut, stuck in mundane business meetings with executives who don’t share Vaccaro’s passion for basketball.
At home, Vaccaro watches a high school tape of Michael Jordan playing basketball on one screen while watching an Arthur Ash tennis commercial on the other. He then spontaneously decides to center an entire shoe line around Jordan before his career takes off. To the dismay of CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), Jordan’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina), head of marketing Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), and Jordan’s parents Deloris (Viola Davis) and James Jordan (Julius Tennon), Vaccaro does everything in his power to make this hare-brained dream into a reality.
Sports dramas like Moneyball, Trouble with the Curve, and Jerry Maguire—all of which focus on the business side—briefly capture the love and spirit of their sport, serving as strictly character or educational pieces that emphasize the capitalistic aspect.
The halls of an ‘80s-era Nike are far from the typical setting of sports dramas, but Air captures the triumphant spirit of what makes sports like basketball so special. While the film may be about making the Air Jordan shoe, Affleck and screenwriter Alex Convery examine the differences between basketball heads in the clothing business and the suits who only see people as dollar signs.
Matt Damon’s driven and confident portrayal of an endlessly motivated Sonny Vaccaro is Air’s main engine. He may be a risk-taking gambler on the Vegas craps tables and at his job, but his confidence is backed by the knowledge that slam-dunks on everyone around him. Vaccaro calls out absent-minded peers who can’t explain why they’re drawn to a rookie player beyond vague terms. Convery’s script has Vaccaro as the centerpiece, but the clever angle comes through the natural tension stemming from Vaccaro's extraordinary ambitions and unethical actions that put careers outside of his own in jeopardy.
Another refreshing aspect of Convery's script is highlighting the importance of a Black mother. Despite the player having an agent, the mother is always the judge, jury, and executioner. Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis) embodies all those traits. The script assures that the weight of the decision of Jordan’s career boils down to her. Jordan is a mere plot device (which is bizarre), but it gives Air a strong backbone.
Affleck’s direction balances a grounded ‘80s atmosphere without smothering you. The setting has a comedic essence through his portrayal as Nike CEO Phil Knight, who flaunts his wealth through wayfarer sunglasses and tracksuits. ‘80s music stitches the film together, but there’s justification for the needle drops due to the setting. I initially clowned Air for pivoting from Jordan’s image whenever he’s on screen, but Affleck admitting that he chose to portray MJ that way—not wanting to cast a young Jordan because of his unmatched singularity—correlates with what the film is about.
Air is also elevated (heheheh) by its ensemble performances of Affleck veterans and newcomers. It’s always delightful to see Matthew Maher, who shines as the nerdy designer of the first Air Jordan, Peter Moore. Jason Bateman has a highlighted emotionally resonant monologue that hammers in the stakes at play. Ben Affleck’s Buddhist-centric Phil Knight is humorous, especially in his shared scenes with Damon. Chris Messina steals the spotlight with hilarious scenes, playing Jordan’s short-tempered agent David Falk. Chris Tucker has a great kindred soul towards the Jordans and his co-workers as the charming Howard White.
Air is straightforward as it hits the inspirational sports drama beats with a warmth that gets too saccharine in its second half. Multiple characters give overly sentimental, inspirational speeches, especially about the gamble of the shoe or the faith in Jordan. The monologues are well-written, but the script presses that button too many times, lessening the impact of some of the most pivotal scenes. Even when you think the film is about to hang up the towel and wrap up, it keeps dribbling to an unnecessary nearly two-hour runtime.
Ben Affleck’s Air is an inspirational marketing sports drama with solid performances and a winning soul that pays tribute to people who see the greatness of others outside of a capitalist lens. Though it hits its motivational speech seminar platform far too often, Air is still a slam dunk that’ll make the crowd roar as loud as they did when MJ used to get on the court.
