AIR

Directing: B
Acting: B+
Writing: B
Cinematography: B
Editing: B+

There’s a reason Air isn’t called Air Jordan, and it’s because this movie is not about Michael Jordan. Director Ben Affleck and debut feature writer Alex Convery are actually fairly pointed about this, having cast Damian Delano Young as Jordan, only showing him onscreen briefly, even in scenes where he’s an essential member of the group present, and granting him maybe one actual line of dialogue.

This is actually the story of Nike. Nike the shoe, Nike the brand. Maybe it’s the story of the company’s second wind, the thing that catapulted it into the global business stratosphere: how Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) convinced Michael Jordan to sign a historically lucrative endorsement deal, by going through his mother, Deloris (Viola Davis). The whole thing is set in 1984, which the movie never, ever lets you forget, from its production design to its costume design to its soundtrack.

All of that dressing makes Air seem a whole lot cooler than it really is. If Air proves anything, it’s that it’s never the story itself that makes a story great, but how it’s told. To be clear: this is. movie about a basketball endorsement deal, and I am a person that should never particularly interest. And yet, I was fully engaged—even though it could be argued this film is just a two-hour commercial for shoes, and shoes that have no need for any extra marketing. And yet: a good story is a good story, and it can in the right hands it can be a great story.

I hestiate to call this story great. It’s just far better than anyone could reasonably have expected it to be, especially after a trailer was released that made it look like a standard-issue TV movie that would have been right at home on HBO twenty or thirty years ago. The performances are solid yet fairly unremarkable all around. Side note: it’s curious that no one seems to be giving Matt Damon any shit for wearing a fat suit for this part. Maybe it’s just because this is still a mid-tier movie, not really an awards contender, so no one is coming out of the woodwork to declare it overrated. Then again, it’s early yet. And Viola Davis in particular is very good here, but then, she always is.

Affleck cast himself as Nike CEO Phil Knight, and his depiction here is how I learned he was apparently known for resting his bare feet upon his desk. I can only imagine directing oneself in a film to be a difficult task, and here he’s . . . fine. I’ll say his directing is better than his performance. Because I still kind of can’t believe how entertaining I found this movie. The cast is a comfortable hang, from atypical parts for both Chris Tucker and Marlon Wayans, to Jason Bateman as a bit of a hit-or-miss marketer, to Matthew Maher as the designer of the shoe.

Not that I’ll ever go out of my way to watch it again. But, not every good movie has to be rewatchable. Would I recommend it? Well, there’s a lot to recommend it, actually. If you have particular interest in basketball and basketball history, the commercial angle here notwithstanding, you’d probably enjoy Air. If you like Ben Affleck or Matt Damon or Viola Davis, that alone would sufficiently recommend it. If you’re a fan of shoes, and particularly the lore and history of Nike, the same applies. Maybe that’s what gives this movie broad appeal, it’s many points of entry.

If you’re fairly indifferent to all of those things, however, you’d be fine skipping it. I can’t say I’d have missed anything all that special had I never watched this movie. Having decided to see it, on the other hand, I did find myself pleasantly surprised by it.

Sometimes you just have to talk to the right people.

Overall: B