In the world of sports movies, or any biopic for that matter, it can be extremely difficult to tell a compelling story on a subject where the audience knows the ending. In the case of Air, that is doubly true. Anyone and everyone knows the Air Jordan. What makes Air a masterclass is how they tell the story. I found myself caring deeply about the story and the characters so profoundly that it didn’t matter how the story ended. That’s what makes the film special. When you can do it with a stellar cast and even better writing and direction, well then you’ve found yourself a hit.
Air follows the story of the infamous Air Jordan Nike shoe deal with Michael Jordan. More importantly, the film reaches behind the scenes of Nike Headquarters to tell the story of the men behind the deal. Matt Damon stars as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike Basketball talent scout hired by Phil Knight, founder of Nike, played by Ben Affleck. Chris Tucker and Jason Bateman round out the main cast as Howard White and Rob Strasser, with Viola Davis played Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mom.
It was also a very good choice in my mind to make the film centered around Michael Jordan, yet he never actually shows his face in the film. That made him this sort of enigma, the myth of Michael Jordan if you will. We all know who he turned out to be, so it didn’t need to be explained in the film. Rather, it worked great in creating the goal the characters work towards. It was equally as smart for the film to avoid straying too far outside of the bounds of the film. We didn’t really reach too far into the character’s backstories, only getting small tidbits here and there. Instead, the characters and the film were focused on delivering their goal: to give the Jordan’s the greatest shoe deal in the history of basketball.
As a movie set in the 1980’s, it was always going to be imperative to be able to get the movie to feel like it was set in the 80s. Luckily, Air delivered in a big way. From the sounds of the office to the set design that gave everything the vintage 80’s feel it needed, to the fantastic costumes, especially that of Affleck’s Phil Knight, everything fit so well into the era. Much like Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game, where I wrote how much the film wholly embraced the 1970’s, I felt equally as grounded in the 80’s here. It also helped to have a killer soundtrack with classic hits from the era, which only helped to enhance the film.
The cast is absolutely stellar and delivers some fantastic performances across the board. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck once again prove why they are the best duo in Hollywood. Their on-screen chemistry is electric, and they deliver some absolutely fantastic performances. Bateman and Davis are also extremely strong; however, the true surprise standout is Chris Tucker. His performance as Howard White was so extremely solid, and he was also able to deliver some of the best jokes in the film in true Tucker fashion. Each actor enveloped the character they played, each with their own quirks that made each character stand out. Their performances made me care about the characters and feel connected to the characters. However, it was Damon who truly delivered big time as left one of the best performances of his career on screen.
It’s also evident and must be acknowledged how much of a powerhouse director Ben Affleck has become. His directing filmography is really impressive and he delivers yet again with Air. The film had a smooth flow that didn’t drag on too long but also knew when to jump into the next scene. He was also able to enhance the drama and anxiety in a story where we know the ending, a feat not easily done. The only place the film struggled was at the very end, it felt like it had a hard time finding the place to close, but even that didn’t feel to long. The fact that they were able to tell their story completely under 2 hours seems like a momentous feat in today’s Hollywood. With films now reaching towards the 4 hour mark, it was refreshing to see such a good story be told so efficiently.
Equally as impressive in Air was the writing. Alex Convery delivered on a script that felt real, inspired, dramatic and funny, and had practically no odd lines or forced dialogue. The jokes were great, but equally as impressive was how they fit into the story seamlessly. Dialogue felt extremely grounded and helped to deliver the believability that the story needed. It was an impressive feat of script-writing that needs to be acknowledged.
Final Thoughts
Air is a film that just felt right to make. It feels a lot like Moneyball did, a classic sports movie about the people behind the scenes who make things happen. Driven by a great cast and even better crew, it shows how much good can happen when you set out to make a film right. With the amount of basketball knowledge jam-packed into the film, it’s sure to make any sports fan feel satisfied. But even if you don’t particularly follow sports, you can still find yourself rooting for the characters and finding enjoyment in the story. Air has jumped to the top of my rewatch list, and you should see it too.
