AIR
review by Bobby Blakey
There are only a handful of sports stars that have become truly iconic in their revolutionary careers with Michael Jordan no doubt being one of it not the biggest. There are so many facets to his career that could be told, but the latest film AIR from director Ben Affleck looks to take on his relationship with the Nike brand. The film features a great cast including Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Marlon Wayans, Jay Mohr, Julius Tennon, with Chris Tucker and Viola Davis with Affleck serving double duty starring as well. Could this story live up to the legacy of the its namesake or will it miss the basket?
AIR follows 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.
I love sports films that take different approaches to the stories. With Jordan there are so many angles to approach his story, but none would be able to capture his full legacy as the man. This film does a perfect job at focusing on one aspect of his rising fame and legacy that still lives on today without ever needing him really in the film. Yes there is someone here taking on the role of Jordan, but cleverly you never hear him speak or see his face outside of stock footage of the man himself.
The focus sits firmly on Nike and mostly Sonny Vaccaro played by Damon. It is no surprise that everyone here is great with Damon leading the charge,
but firmly supported by Bateman, Affleck and Tucker. They all have great chemistry together and really bring the story together while making it compelling as you see all the hurdles they had to jump through to try and make this unprecedented deal reality.
Through it all whether you know the story or not it is still fascinating to how it all came together and how much in the sports industry was changed. It is hard to believe that one man’s sponsorship not only saved a company, but had so many ramifications to this day. It’s an inspiring story that delivers and further showcases the talents of the cast, Affleck’s skill as a director and Jordan’s lasting legacy on and off the court.
Grab our copy of AIR availabe now on Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Bros Home Entertainment.