Air, the latest directorial effort from Ben Affleck, is about how the legendary Air Jordans were conceived. Not just how they were made, but how they got Michael Jordan to come onboard as the exclusive face of the shoe, which ultimately made the premiere shoe manufacturer they are today.
What works about this is that it takes the ordinary and manages to make it extraordinary. It makes what could be the most inevitable, boring jobs seem like the stuff of legend. You can totally see someone’s dad with a regular job can watch this and see how it can be portrayed as something heroic and amazing. Nothing’s ever at risk, except for the money being put into the project and the reputation of both Nike and its employees if this doesn’t work. The kinetic editing and the intense flow of the story convince me that this is the most important thing in these people’s lives. You care due to how earnest and sincere the performances come off being when it comes to selling the premise.
Matt Damon has probably a speech every half hour about the greatness of Michael Jordan or the potential of his greatness via these shoes. There’s an intensity in the editing and the direction that makes it hit as hard as any punch or crash in an action can give. You buy into these characters and their mission. Yes, you know by the end, that this is all going to end up being a success. I literally wore Air Jordans to this showing so clearly that’s not the main thing they’re trying to get across. It’s all about how it all came together that Air becomes a successful suspense picture.
It’s also an ego stroke but in the most complimentary of ways. In one way, because it’s unabashedly going out of its way to make you care about the most successful shoe company ever and whether it will succeed in making more money by framing it as if they’re underdogs. And technically they were as people were more into Adidas to the point that Run DMC had a hit song about them. But in another way, the characters here are rich and alive to the point that you buy into their mission regardless of their station.
The way Ben Affleck is introduced in this movie is so clearly a way to come off as the most awesome, coolest guy ever. At the same time, the movie allows for these guys to have some imperfections. The moment where he pretends to be late for an important meeting as a business tactic is a good example of showing the humility in Affleck’s character but provides a good moment of levity. This is also well executed every time he tries to have these inspiring life lessons that’s always undercut with a bit of sarcasm. It’s nice to have that balance as he’s basically the boss at Nike putting forward as well as financing the shoe. But he’s able to allow the actors a chance to get their moments in whenever possible. It’s a true ensemble piece that offers fantastic moments for its core cast of people.
Jason Bateman is yet again doing his Jason Bateman thing and it never fails. He has a great speech about juggling his family with the job. He continues to prove that he’s still one of the best actors to still be doing it right now. Chris Messina has multiple scenes as Jordan’s agent where he yells at people on the phone. It’s so great. I was rolling every time he had an outburst. It’s a minor role but Messina is able to offer a strong sense of interiority. Viola Davis offers yet another fantastic performance as Jordan’s mother and she offers a multilayered approach into a caring and concerned mother and a smart businesswoman who handles most of the business dealings. Matthew Maher is also memorable as the guy who’s responsible for creating the actual shoe and the logo associated with the shoe. All across the board, it’s clear that Affleck loves working with great actors and letting them shine.
If you’ve been missing good, old fashioned grown up entertainment, Air will make for a satisfying time at the movies. Even with its grounded, straightforward story, Affleck is able to make it feel larger than life with help of a sturdy, clever, and often hilarious script from Alex Convery. It proves how the best movies can work like a magic trick as it convinces you the impossible can be possible regardless of whether or not you think you know the outcome.
I am giving Air a 4 out of 5 Hairpieces!
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