Air

4/14/2023

Matt Damon is on strong form here as the out-of-shape Nike basketball executive Sonny Vaccaro. At the usual routine selection meeting at the start of the season he realises that their paltry $250k budget isn't going to enable them to sign anyone with enough impact to lift his company from a distant third behind Converse and Adidas in the market. A bit of lateral thinking and some convincing of marketing VP Rob Strasser (a good effort from Jason Bateman, too) takes him before the bare-footed, grape coloured Porsche owning, Phil Knight - the CEO (Ben Affleck) with an off-the-wall plan to put all of their eggs in one basket and go for the upcoming Michael Jordan. Scepticism abounds, not least because the man's agent (Chris Messina) makes it clear that Jordan has no interest at all in signing

4/23/2023

“Air” is a sports marketing drama that delivers satisfying entertainment with a feel-good, universal appeal. Never would I have guessed that a film about business deals and shoe marketing would be so engaging, but this true story about the game-changing partnership in 1984 between an NBA rookie named Michael Jordan and the athletic apparel company Nike is gratifying on all levels. You don’t have to be a basketball fan or even know anything about Jordan to enjoy this film. It’s a biopic all right – but of the men behind the Air Jordan sneaker line, not the superstar athlete. Directed by Ben Affleck (who also co-stars), the film explores the history of how the legendary Air Jordan sneaker line was birthed into existence, telling the story of the high-stakes business gamble that had the po

5/16/2023

A staggering tale of an unhinged perseverance which is backed by a captivating screenplay. Air is a story so frivolous and flat , that the courage of Ben Affleck should be lauded with our hats down. A simple plot which would fit within 3 lines of a page is magically presented to us as a fascinating and appealing peace of history which changed the strature of business in sports in America and revolutionized a global culture, Nike's collaboration with the greatest basketball player in the history of the game, "Michael Jordan". The 2 hours doesn't feel long when you have a dazzling screenplay & a marvelous ensemble cast with their pragmatic conversations. Ben Affleck really puts in a fine effort to yield such sensational performances for the star studded cast. Brilliant is an underst

5/18/2023

Slightly forced 1980s aesthetic/nostalgia trip aside, <em>'Air'</em> is quality! The 80s was before my time, so I guess I'm not best placed to talk about it, but the constant shots of 80s things with 80s music with extremely 80s enviroments did get a tiny bit tiresome to me. I recall people saying similar-ish with <em>'Stranger Things'</em> season 3, though I found the mix of it there to more befitting. I'm nit-picking, I know, but it just was super noticeable to me here. Anyway, enough of that unimportant stuff. The film is great. The whole cast do terrific work, particularly Matt Damon, Viola Davis (the phone call scene between those two is excellent), Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. I'd say the secondary portion of the almost 2hrs is the stronger, prior to that I was intrigued but

11/17/2023

MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ "Air soars with a chemistry-filled cast, offering lively performances across the board, with Matt Damon standing out in particular. Alex Convery's excellent script showcases some of the sharpest writing in recent sports biopic history, blending humor and drama seamlessly, despite not breaking any new ground within the subgenre, adhering to familiar tropes and overall structure. The kinetic dialogue keeps every scene incredibly entertaining, making the almost two-hour runtime fly by. Ben Affleck continues to prove his talent as both director and actor. Surprisingly engaging even for non-basketball enthusiasts. A highly enjoyable, well-executed original story about how one shoe changed the world." Rating: B+

9/3/2024

#AirMovieReview #MichaelJordan #ViolaDavis We initially hesitated to watch this film due to the lack of positive buzz surrounding it, leaving it at the bottom of our watchlist for some time. However, when we finally made it to the theater to see it, we were pleasantly surprised by what we found. "Air" turned out to be a fantastic movie that was well worth our time. I found myself completely engrossed in the story from start to finish. I appreciated how the film focused on Michael Jordan as a brand rather than just a person, allowing the concept of the movie to shine through. The film's humor, cleverness, and overall storyline were impressive, and Viola Davis delivered a stellar performance as a mother. I highly recommend this movie, and if you missed it in theaters, be sure to cat