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| Peter Moore, Matt Damon, and Jason Bateman in "Air" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
Given how many sports movies there are, it’s safe to say we’ve pretty much seen every story there is to tell in the genre, whether it be fiction or nonfiction. However, one of the best sports films of the last few years had a primary focus that wasn’t the actual playing of the game, but what happened behind the scenes, and that movie was Bennett Miller’s 2011 baseball film, “Moneyball.” It’s a film that showed what occurs outside of the game can be just as intriguing as seeing it it played.
Director Ben Affleck does something similar with his latest film, “Air.” Having not released a film as a director in over six years, it’s terrific to see him back with this soaring, crowd-pleasing, biographical comedy-drama that chronicles the making of the Air Jordan shoe.
In 1984, Nike is close to shutting down its basketball shoe division due to low sales. Soon, Nike’s basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) decides to pursue rookie basketball player Michael Jordan for a business deal. Despite Jordan being scouted by other athletic companies, Sonny will do whatever he can to secure the soon-to-be basketball star and revive the Nike brand.
Damon gives an impassioned performance as a man who relentlessly goes after a long shot that can make or break his career and those of everyone around him. With determination and ingenuity, Damon has us experience his character’s unstoppable drive to achieve what others think is impossible. It’s a performance that’s peppered with humor as he clashes with his coworkers and business rivals, but one that never forgets the dramatic stakes behind what he’s doing. This is your typical underdog character, but that doesn’t mean it’s not effective, and like his other great inspirational performances that can be found in “Good Will Hunting,” “Invictus,” “The Martian,” and “Ford v Ferrari,” Damon has a talent for making us feel the emotional triumph of his characters.
For this film, Affleck pulls double duty once again. Aside from being behind the camera, he’s also part of the cast, portraying Nike co-founder and CEO Phil Knight. This is a performance that pushes against Damon’s, as Affleck shows the doubts that his character feels in his company’s output. You see someone who’s torn between wanting to support his friend, but also must think about the company and what’s best for them as a whole. Affleck displays the tension Knight exhibits with the current state of his business, knowing his company is at a turning point and wants to make sure that the right decisions are made.
Viola Davis gives an excellent supporting performance as Michael’s mother, Delores. Davis displays the love that her character has as a parent, and extends that love and protectiveness when displaying the business sense to know what’s best for her son so that he’s given what he’s worth. There’s a gentleness to her throughout, but also an understatedly stern demeanor, particularly when it comes to a climactic scene between her and Damon when she discusses the terms of their agreement about Michael. It’s in this scene where Delores shows that when dealing with a business that has her son’s future in its hands, she means business, as well.
As for the rest of the cast, Jason Bateman uses his talent for deadpan delivery as always for playing Marketing VP Rob Strasser; Marlon Waynes appears as George Raveling, a college basketball coach and friend of Sonny’s; Chris Messina is very funny as Michael Jordan’s cutthroat agent, David Falk; Chris Tucker makes an entertaining appearance as the fast-talking Nike junior executive Howard White; and Matthew Maher inhibits the role of Peter Moore, the brilliant designer of the Air Jordan.
The screenplay by Alex Convery offers an engaging business narrative that offers a deep dive into what went on in the middle of all of the wheelings and dealings to make this success story happen. Given how many characters that the story includes, we’re able to see this business from different areas within Nike and witness how everyone played their part in the making of the Air Jordan sneakers. With all of the discussions that go on within the film, we see the business side and human side in equal measure, hearing the characters speak about the intricacies of their business models, while also speaking from the heart about the emotional implications of their deal, should it pull through.
While Affleck’s big directorial successes have come from thrillers like “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Town,” and “Argo,” he shows a new side to his directorial talents as he goes for something smaller, yet still impactful. Just as how Affleck mixed thrills with a crowd-pleasing feel in “Argo,” he does the same here. The crowd-pleasing comes in full force, but as for the thrills, you wouldn’t expect a movie about the making of a shoe to be suspenseful; however, between the industry competition, meetings with other companies, and tense character interactions, Affleck makes it work. He uses cinematography by Robert Richardson that offers several long takes as the camera goes around the Nike office, showing the flurry of activity that permeates the halls and provides some apprehension as everyone tries to get the work done before time runs out. With it all, Affleck offers an entertaining, old-fashioned, feel-good movie.
As you watch “Air,” you’ll be cheering like any other sports film where you witness a home run, touchdown, a goal, or in this case, a slam dunk.
Grade: A
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