Air is a 2023 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Ben Affleck, and written by Alex Convery. Convery, whose IMDb bio is basically non-existent, had his original script Air Jordan appear on the film industrie’s Black List. Distributed by Amazon Studios, this is the first film produced by Affleck and Damon's new company, Artists Equity.
The film tells the story of the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.
The cast includes Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, and Gustaf Skarsgård.
Air made its debut in theaters on April 5th, 2023, courtesy of Amazon Studios.
THE GOOD
I’ll be honest, somehow Air snuck up on me. I mean had I known about this movie sooner, I would have been looking forward to it for as long as it was in development. The amazing cast is enough to fill the seats, but the story is the big sell here. I was born the year this all unfolded, and we all know the larger-than-life icon that is Michael Jordan. I remember begging my parents for $135 Nike Air Max shoes back in middle school, because well I had to have them. In many ways, it is hard to think about Nike without thinking about Michael Jordan, and that is for a damn good reason. The partnership between Nike and Jordan changed everything, and Air was made just to show us all how it all unfolded. So, does the movie live up to the mystique? Keep reading to find out!
Let me just get this out of the way now, Air is an amazing and damn near flawless movie. From the talented and massively stacked cast, the polarizing true story, and the amazing soundtrack, this movie has it all. We all know the story going in, or at least have a pretty good idea, but the setup is key, and wow do they pull it off. Right away you are rooting for the main characters, primarily Matt Damon’s Sonny Vaccaro and Jason Bateman’s Rob Strasser. These two men feel relatable and from the jump (pun intended) it is clear the magnitude of this make-or-break moment for these two men. At one point Strasser tells Vaccaro a heartbreaking story about how his position at Nike is one of the few things keeping him connected to his young daughter who he rarely sees. In many ways, Vaccaro is searching for purpose and an opportunity to forge a legacy of his own, no matter the risk involved. Part of what is so intriguing about Air is just how intentional and committed Vacarro is to something he believes in, and his refusal to let the doubt of others cast a cloud over what he feels is now his greatest mission in life. The rest of us will be lucky to feel even just a semblance of what he felt back in 1984 because trust me nothing is more exhilarating than a sense of purpose coupled with a fiery passion and put-it-all-on-the-line mentality.
My two favorite elements of Air go hand in hand and you can probably guess that would be the cast and the story. The fact of the matter is this movie does not work without both firing on all cylinders, and just like Dominic Toretto in a street race, failure was never an option. I loved the cast from top to bottom and will watch any movie that stars Damon, Bateman, and Affleck, but their star power is just a piece of why the film works so well. The cast finds a way to harness the energy of the people they are portraying, from the excitement of an opportunity to change the course of history, to the possibility of making a career-ending mistake. Alex Convery’s screenplay is just masterful, and man does this guy who seemingly came out of nowhere deserve a ton of credit. As viewers, we feel connected to these men and even though we know the end result, we still can’t help but experience the full range of emotions and eventual elation. I also really liked how it never seemed like it was all about this amazing achievement for Nike, it really felt like all involved genuinely cared about the mutually beneficial relationship they were seeking, and they truly believed that Michael Jordan was poised to become the greatest basketball player in NBA history, and boy were they right.
I have to talk a bit more about this amazing cast and how they brought new life to the influential people they were portraying. Matt Damon is without question one of the greatest actors of my lifetime, whether you want to talk about Good Will Hunting or his genre-defining Jason Bourne franchise, he really can do it all. So it should come as no surprise that he is off-the-charts good as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike employee with a slight gambling addition and a very vague job description. As mysterious as Vaccaro’s character appears, one thing is certain from the beginning and that is his willingness to follow his gut no matter the risk. I was rooting for him right away, and being in his corner just felt so damn good.
Next up is Jason Bateman’s Rob Strasser and even though it is hard to not see Bateman as Marty Byrde in the hit series Ozark, I loved his character. The screenplay does such a fantastic job of humanizing these characters, and I immediately felt connected to Strasser and the fact that he was a guy that wanted to succeed in his career but also knew that at the end of the day, nothing mattered more than family, which is a running theme in the film. Ben Affleck is incredible as the enigmatic Nike CEO Phil Knight, Chris Messina was awesome as Jordan’s agent David Falk, Viola Davis was next level as per usual as Jordan’s mom Deloris, Chris Tucker was great as Howard White, Marlon Wayans held it down in a small role as George Raveling, and I really liked Matthew Maher as genius shoe designer Peter Moore. I really liked Julius Tennon in a special and bittersweet performance as the late James Jordan. From Asanté Deshon who is credited only as 7-Eleven Clerk right up the line to Damon, the entire cast was top-notch.
I was born the year this all happened, so needless to say when the movie started and 1984 flashed across the screen followed by an invigorating montage including all of the colorful clothing and incredible music, I was glued to the screen. I love, love, love movies that are set in the 80s, and yes I for sure count the recently released Cocaine Bear (our full review here) which is now streaming on Peacock, and Air has the feel I was hoping for. From the clothes to the cars, right down to the amazing soundtrack, I felt like my adult self was transported back to my birth year and it was so damn satisfying. Although the story and the cast certainly take center stage, the technical elements of the film are still fantastic. The editing was just so good and really helped to bring that 80s feel, and the soundtrack was the icing on the cake for me. Not a single scene felt wasted or unnecessary. I also really liked the creative camera work from Ben Affleck, who was as smooth in the director’s chair as he was on-screen.
THE BAD
The only issue I had with this movie was the fact that eventually, it had to end. Seriously, Air really is THAT good. Even if viewers have zero interest in sports or Nike for that matter, the movie will still resonate and leave a mark on fans of quality cinema.
THE VERDICT
An incredibly immersive and captivating re-telling of a monumental moment in modern history, Air takes full advantage of a stellar cast, a fantastic 80s soundtrack, and a powerful and truly inspiring screenplay. Telling a story that holds so much weight is no easy task, and this was without question one of the most genuinely entertaining experiences I have had at the movie theater in recent memory.
As I made very clear in my review, I loved everything about this movie. I felt energized as soon as the movie ended and I was on Nike.com looking up some fresh new Air Jordans before I even left the theater. Do yourself a favor and get out there and see Air sooner than later, you won’t regret it. I can’t wait to see it again.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10
Air is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.