Air Review - Sneak Into Michael Jordan's Sneakers That Made History

Ben Affleck takes the director's chair again for the biographical sports drama, Air, starring himself, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Viola Davis, Chris Messina, and Chris Tucker. The film is based on one chapter from the life of the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan, but is less about him and more about Nike's legendary business deal. The merger of biographical drama and sports drama is becoming quite a sensation nowadays, and it's good for us cinephiles because we are getting two different genres together along with variety in the content. Somehow, the lead actor of Air, Matt Damon, was also the lead in one of the finest biographical sports dramas in recent times, Ford Vs. Ferrari. Air isn't on that level because the action is missing and that famous betrayal isn't a part of neither Jordan's life nor Nike's policy. The only thing I could relate to in a similar sense was that there was Ford Vs. Ferrari, and here it was Nike Vs. Adidas. Air is a fine film, for sure, and there are some jump-notes that make you fly. So yes, even the small screen experience can be that exciting this time.Set in the 1980s, Air is about sports brand Nike's business deal with famous basketball player Michael Jordan that changed their fates. One of Nike's employees, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), is given a task to raise Nike's sales by the company's CEO, Phil Knight (Ben Affleck). Clueless about how to overtake their biggest competition in the market, Adidas, Sonny comes up with the idea to sign Michael Jordan as a solo ambassador for their new shoes. Sonny's attempt to get a meeting with Jordan by his manager doesn't go well, but then he opts to meet Jordan's mother and father, Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis) and James Jordan (Julius Tennon). Sonny and his colleagues invent new shoes and try everything to sign Jordan, hoping that this deal will make them the boss in the market. But will it be that easy?Air is a simple story, but there are many shades to it that cover up many emotional entanglements and corporate talk. It's funny that I didn't notice it early that this film is about a business deal, but there is very little business talk in the film. However, regular human conversations are pretty realistic and on point considering whatever the situation is, be it office meetings, telephone conversations, or emotionally dragging speeches. There is a comedy, but it's a situational one and will not work on repeat viewing. The basic idea is uplifted by an engaging screenplay and a humanly believable story that somehow makes you go with the flow, even if it's absurd and abusive sometimes. For a moment, I really thought that people used so many abuses during a formal conversation in the 1980s. But then, who minds a few gags? Whatever the shortcomings are, such as a few unwanted pauses, a couple of repetitive talks, and a lack of detailing the manufacturing process, they could have been avoided, but somewhere that's what makes other scenes look better.Matt Damon is on a rollercoaster throughout the film. He gets the speeches right, he has plenty of crushing words, and he also has one or two powerful one-liners. He is a complete package. I wonder why our company doesn't have a colourful and cheerful scout like him. Ben Affleck gets limited presence but makes sure he is worth it. That comic monologue in the important office meeting was ridiculously mad. Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, and Chris Messina have been a little loud sometimes, but nothing to ring the warning bell. Chris Tucker tucks away in his own style, which I don't think had anything to do with the character he was playing. If you need a black woman for a role that's challenging and powerful, then you must go to Viola Davis. You don't have an option for her if you really want a good actor for that specific role. Air just clears the air again if anybody ever doubts Davis. Tom Papa, Matthew Maher, Julius Tennon, Joel Gretsch, and others have been helpful enough in the supporting roles.Air has got some amazing dialogues. "A shoe is just a shoe until someone steps into it." Watch out for Deloris Jordan's version of the same that will force you to clap. The cinematography is okay, and so is the sound. I don't know what changes Alex Convery has made to the true story for the sake of filmy slices, but as a whole, I believed in the story even though it looked a bit untidy in the middle. The templates come too quickly in the end. There should have been a proper presentation of Nike's historic sales of the Air Jordan. It could have been anything: video footage, news headlines, print articles or magazines, or anything else, but I think it should have been there longer. Your entire film is dependent on that, and you take away the soul of it by finishing it up with a few subtitles? Not fair (not even in the air). Ben Affleck has already impressed me as a director with Argo (2012), and that one film is enough for me to know his directing skills. His other films haven't been that great, but most of them were decent to good. Air is indeed another good one from him, and that too in a new genre (for him). This sneak peek into Jordan's sneakers deserves your choice and time, but just don't expect MJ (reel one) to be there, jumping high in the air.