Mix together one part Moneyball, one part The Social Network, one part Argo and add a swoosh and you’ve got yourself one hell of a Nike biopic. Ben Affleck returns to directing with Air and thank the god of victory he is back directing because Air is one of the best sports films you’ll see.
Air follows the story of Nike shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro, played by Matt Damon, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of Michael Jordan. Set in the 80s with a killer soundtrack that I can’t wait to add to my collection of movie playlists on Spotify. Sonny’s ambition and work at Nike creates a perfect story about a legendary shoe.
Nike has always been a greatly marketed brand and that look and feel have been captured perfectly by Affleck and cinematographer Robert Richardson. The bright colors of neon Nike signs and the individuality of the brands show off the battle between Nike, Converse, and Adidas. Air could’ve easily been overfilled and showing off each company but choosing to hold back and just focus on Nike is the winning formula for the film.
What really makes Air shine is its cast. Matt Damon is the perfect lead for the film. Ben Affleck acting weird as Nike founder Phil Knight works as well. All of the characters around Matt Damon’s Sonny Vaccaro are all memorable, from Jason Bateman’s Rob Strasser to Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mum Deloris Jordan. Jason Bateman in Air is as close to Michael Bluth as we’ll see and I’ll take that.
Air’s brilliant script, by Alex Convery, is filled with emotional and uplifting moments but at its heart its an exciting and hilarious time. The comedic moments had the audience at my screening laughing out of their seats. Chris Tucker’s Howard White and Matthew Maher as shoe designer Peter Moore are standouts for the comedic moments of Air.
The center of this fast-paced comedic and inspiring story is the idea of how Sonny helped to cement Nike and Jordan in history. The mixture of Jordan’s mother telling Sonny about how important her son is to everyone and Rob Strasser trying to do his job while balancing life raises the stakes to levels that a lot of biopics will gleam over. All of this ends with a funny yet emotional time for Sonny as he awaits to be called back to know if he has succeeded…literally like he is waiting for his crush to call him back on the phone.
When I was in high school we would watch a motivational film before big sports events. Think of watching Remember the Titans before a sports carnival. Air would be the same but before taking on a graphic design or marketing assignment. Air isn’t just a star-studded shoe biopic, Air is Ben Affleck hitting the half-court shot on the buzzer. Just see it.
Score: 5/5 from the free throw line.
Air is out in cinemas on April 5th