Air

I might've reviewed The Super Mario Bros. Movie first, but I saw Air first this past weekend. Mario was one of the trailers for Air, even though both movies opened the same day. Weird, isn't it? It's now time to tell you what I thought about Ben Affleck's first directorial work since the financially disastrous Live by Night. 

It's 1984, and it's not a good year for Nike. They've been stepped on by the competition and are almost bankrupt. CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) wants talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) to find him a basketball star to sponsor a new shoe line. Sonny eyes Michael Jordan, who eyes Adidas, for the sponsorship. Phil reluctantly accepts Sonny's choice.

But Sonny needs to convince a few other people. These include Michael's Olympic coach, George Raveling (Marlon Wayons), his agent David Falk (Chris Messina), and especially his parents, James and Deloris (Julius Tennon and Viola Davis). Sonny and his "team" - designer Peter Moore (Matthew Maher) and marketing director Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) - need to come up with their new shoe, quick. Otherwise, Adidas or Converse might get Mike to their court.

Of course, the outcome is a forgone conclusion. Michael Jordan went with Nike and thus, the Air Jordan was born. How can Affleck and writer Alex Convery make a 112-minute movie out of it? To start off, Sonny is a likable protagonist and Deloris is a stern, but warm woman. Their best scenes are when they negotiate Mike's financial terms, particularly when she forces him to re-evaluate his business thinking. We're further invested when the NBA's ridiculous (and since repealed) shoe policy is brought up. If, by the end, you're thinking incessantly "hurry up, Sonny," as I was, you'll know the filmmakers have done something right.

Sonny also has great chemistry with Phil (no surprise). Phil is an eccentric man ready with a Zen quote or two but gets uppity over the shade of his car. They get their best scene when Sonny makes one final play to get Mike. Ron is compelling once we learn of his family life. David has the funniest scene with a long and vulgar phone call. Peter and Nike executive Howard White (Chris Tucker) are both fun characters. As for Air Mike himself, he's only seen from behind, played by Damian Delano Young, and heard twice. That certainly does a good job making him a towering presence this early in his career.

The technical MVP is editor William Goldenberg. The film opens with a montage of 1984's highlights, from Ghostbusters to Reagan's re-election. I must say the clips are a good selection. A more compelling montage is of Michael Jordan's highlights as Sonny pitches him the Air Jordan deal. The clips are poignant even if the speech is a bit corny. The soundtrack is an 80s setlist; Axel F from Beverly Hills Cop sets up a funny ending gag. 

Air makes its forgone story interesting with a great cast and dialogue. You might learn a few neat things about the shoe business once it's done. This was produced by Amazon, which means a Prime release isn't too far off. But who knows when that'll happen. I think it's worth checking out in theatres. A good time is guaranteed in this court.