Air

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Air is a biopic following the Nike team who managed to create Air Jordans, and convince Michael Jordan himself to partner with the company. Immediately going into this I was unsure of what to expect; I'm neither a basketball fan nor have I ever owned a pair of Jordans. But what did have me excited was seeing a project in which Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were playing off one another yet again; even better that Ben Affleck was directing it. The film is quite compact in a lot of ways, very dialogue heavy and often setting scenes in an office space or via a phone conversation. But that intimate, low stakes style of production is such a wonderful choice because it allows the dialogue to thrive. The script Air boasts in masterful, it really has some lines that hit with wit in one scene and weight in the other. I loved how characters played off against each other, grew because of their interactions with one another and really individually felt defined. This was a screenplay that knew how to use all of the pieces at play, there was a lot of dramatic tension but the film also did a great job of showing the eccentric side of this unbelievable story and more than that it really dug into the emotional pressure of the workers who made this story happen.

Ben Affleck makes more contained sets really come to life, the way this film is peppered with shots of people just talking and observing should make for a visually dull watch. But Air is captivating and it constantly switches up on framing, levels and angles to craft a really engaging visual piece that holds your attention throughout. The soundtrack throughout this feature is like living in a time capsule, it brings the 80s to life in a big way and also defines the feature as a narrative about a group of people daring something impossible.

 

Matt Damon, who played Sonny Vaccaro, is a wonderful protagonist for this feature; Damon presents a very mild-mannered yet determined figure who really steadily grows more passionate as the feature progresses. Ben Affleck, who played Phil Knight, is one of Affleck's best performances in recent years; watching Affleck play this character who is so intentionally eccentric and trying to inspire his workers is extremely funny. Chris Messina, who played David Falk, is like a fireworks show in this; a scene with Messina can be steadily ticking along and then he suddenly explodes with some of the wildest and most entertaining line delivery in the film. Viola Davis, who played Delores Jordan, is a lot more understated than some of Davis' more recent film roles but she is no less a powerhouse; watching Davis quietly affirm the significance and worth of Michael Jordan from a matriarchal lens was really well performed. Chris Tucker, who played Howard White, is quietly the heart of the film; watching the genuine admiration he has in scenes with Damon make for some very heartwarming moments. Matthew Maher, who played Peter Moore, is a very out of the box figure that surprisingly works well; Maher finds the comedy of Peter while also making the character come across as genuinely brilliant. Marlon Wayans, who played George Raveling, is this one scene character who leaves a solid impression on the film; Wayans really comes at George with a very grounded and sincere approach.

However, the best performance came from Jason Bateman, who played Rob Strasser. I love Bateman in most any comedy he stars in, but when he really takes the gloves off and steps into a dramatic role it can be something brilliant. Bateman's classic dry, sarcastic wit is all over his delivery and marks him with some of the best lines in the film. I enjoyed watching Bateman play an individual who is more meek than usual, he is stressed and just doing his very best to keep things moving forward. But the way Bateman plays character chemistry is a little bolder, watching him bounce off Damon is one of my personal favourite aspects of the film. The strength of this role is seeing that human element, in which Bateman depicts his character's fear of becoming estranged from his daughter. It is a stern reminder of the stakes in the narrative, and a deeply moving moment from one of the leading performers.

There is an element of this film that does come across as quite safe, it takes appropriate pauses and builds up the stakes but there is still a levity to the final outcome. This is a feature that takes place over phones and corporate meeting rooms, the stakes are limited and in such an inspiring biopic narrative it's no surprise the trajectory of the positive outcome. I also thought the film really could have wound things up a little tighter in the final act, it definitely stretched on a little longer past the point where it felt like they had nailed their ending.

In spite of a really grand visual style, the editing does let things down to some extent. There is a really gradual approach to cutting up scenes that drags the way scenes move more than I really appreciated as an audience member. 

Julius Tennon, who played James Jordan, is a necessary physical presence but is never a noteworthy character; Tennon spends the movie nodding and grinning without ever feeling like an active participant in the same way Davis is.

 

When Ben Affleck wants to showcase his directing talent, he really brings it. I would give Air an 8/10.